If You Forget My Love, I'll Try To Remind You
by UnicornStarFighter
Summary: (Sequel to In Your Arms I'll Stay) Victoire's fifth year could easily be called a minor disaster, but things have settled down, right? Right?
1. Chapter 1

Molly's sixteenth birthday came at the end of July, six days before Harry's.

On the afternoon of July 25th, 2016, Victoire Weasley found herself in the backyard of her cousin's house helping to set up a long table.

"Oh, don't put it there," Percy said, from his place on the porch, "It's not level!"

Victoire's aunt Audrey gently pushed her husband inside the house and then shook her head, "Don't worry about it, girls, just put it wherever you think will be good."

Molly sighed, "This is way too complicated."

"You're just making it that way," Audrey said, smiling, "Just set it down, it's fine where you have it."

Victoire did as her aunt said, and then dusted her hands on her shorts, "When's everyone else coming anyway?"

Molly shrugged, "It's… What time is it, Mum?"

Audrey looked at her watch, "Five past three, dear."

"Thanks," Molly said. She turned back to her cousin, "They're supposed to start showing up at half past."

Victoire nodded, "Alright, that gives us plenty of time to finish setting things up. Remind me again what the plan is?"

"They come, we mess around for a while, dinner will be at about six, and then we can do whatever until people decide they want to go home," Molly said, shrugging again, "There's not really any cut-and-dried plan about this, I'm just doing whatever."

"Sam's got practice, doesn't he?" Victoire asked.

"Yeah," Molly said, "Well, he did anyway, it was this morning. He should be by any minute actually, I told him to come early."

Audrey laughed, "It was my idea. I figured it'd be easier for the two of them to sneak away from Percy for a few minutes if everyone else isn't here yet."

"You're actually helping your daughter to sneak away so that she can snog her boyfriend?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows.

Audrey shrugged, "Why not? Merlin knows I did it enough when I was younger, and my dad wasn't nearly as bad. Besides, it's Sam, I really don't think he's going to do anything altogether that stupid, do you?"

Victoire smiled, "You're probably right, yeah. He's a good guy."

"Well, I wouldn't date a complete prat," Molly said, "Ever."

"I made that mistake enough times for every woman in the Weasley family," Audrey said, shaking her head, "Still wonder about it sometimes, actually."

"Mum!"

"Well, you have to admit that your father can be a major prat sometimes, dear," Audrey said, smiling at her eldest daughter, "I love the man, but he's still figuring out how to not be so pig-headed sometimes."

"True," Molly said, "I should probably listen to you more, shouldn't I?"

Audrey's smile widened, "Probably, yes." She straightened from her position leaning against the porch railing and nodded to the girls, "I'm going to go make sure that everything's okay inside, it's a bit too quiet in there. Let me know when Sam comes so that I can make sure your father is distracted enough, alright Molls?"

"Sure thing, Mum," Molly said.

Audrey disappeared into the house. Victoire grinned.

"I always forget how much I love your mum."

"She's pretty damn brilliant, isn't she?" Molly asked.

"She is," Victoire said, "You're looking forward to seeing Sam, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Molly said, "He's had so many practices this week… This will be my first time seeing him since the Saturday before last."

"It's a shame," Victoire said, "I miss having him around all the time."

"Speaking of seeing boyfriends, when's the last time you saw Danny?"

Victoire shrugged, "Beginning of the month."

"When does he come back?" Molly asked.

"In a week and a half," Victoire said.

"It's unfortunate that he got roped into that," Molly said, "I know how excited you were to have the summer with him."

"It's not that big a deal," Victoire said, subconsciously fingering the flower charm that hung from her bracelet, "I'm not going to deny him the opportunity to get to tour the Spanish countryside."

"You would think he would have done enough of that in the two weeks in June," Molly said.

"I want him to have fun," Victoire said, "Besides, I was in France for two weeks, it's not like I would have seen him anyway."

"I guess you're right," Molly said. Her gaze travelled to Victoire's bracelet, "New charm?"

Victoire nodded, "He sent it to me last week with his last letter. Said he saw it in a shop in Perth and thought I'd like it."

"What is it anyway?" Molly said, "I didn't really get a good look at it."

Victoire lifted her wrist to show her cousin the silver charm with the amethyst stone at its center, "A forget-me-not, you know those are my favorite flowers."

"I have to say, I'm a little amazed," Molly said after a moment.

"How so?" Victoire asked.

"You two fell back into your normal routine a lot more easily than I would have expected," Molly said.

"Well, it's not normal, for one thing," Victoire said, "I mean, he's in Australia, and the owls can only do that distance so quickly, so we can only write once a week or so. And what did you expect? We've known each other since I was born, I'm used to him."

"After how put out you were with him, I'm just amazed that it took you two three weeks to start talking to each other the same way you always did," Molly said, "Then again, it is you two, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as you never seem to do anything by the book."

"Why would we?" Victoire asked, "By the book isn't any fun."

Molly raised her hands in defeat, "Alright, whatever you say."

The sound of a loud crack made both girls whirl around to see a familiar figure standing there.

"SAM!"

Molly launched herself at her boyfriend, who caught her up in a hug before grinning at Victoire.

"Hey Vic."

Victoire laughed, "Hi, Sam, it's nice to see you."

He detached himself from Molly and approached her, "Hug me, you dolt."

Victoire did as he said, "It's been what, two weeks?"

"Three," Sam said, "Also, I have something for you." He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a carefully folded piece of parchment, "He told Aaron to tell me to give this to you, I guess the kid got a couple days to come back and see his family and he dropped if off on the way."

Victoire eagerly took the parchment from Sam, "Thanks a million."

Sam grinned, "No problem."

"Now, you two go down to the garden or something," Victoire said, making shooing motions with her hands, "I'll tell Uncle Percy that you wanted to show him the geraniums or something, Molls."

Molly smiled, "Thanks, Vic."

The pair ambled away from her as she carefully unfolded the parchment and began to read.

_Tori,_

_Yes, Australia is still great, and no, I don't know when my first visiting break will be._

_I am going a bit mental down here though, it's not the same without the lot of you driving me mad all the time. Sam complains about how there aren't enough guys in the bunch now that I'm gone, but I don't have any idea what he's talking about since I wasn't exactly in the bunch for the last few months of school and he should be used to it by now (Don't kill me when I get home for saying that, please)._

_Uncle Harry was down here for a few days last week, but then again, you probably knew that already. He's pretty happy with all of us, but like he said, he won't really know much of anything until we actually go into the field and get some real practice at dealing with Dark wizards. Things are pretty tame down here, most of what we've been doing has been theory, so I haven't exactly been out fighting for my life or anything like that._

_I'm hoping I'll make it back in October or something like that so that I can come to Hogsmeade and see the lot of you for a little while, but we haven't been given any word about when we'll get a chance to go home for a few days, so I really have no idea when I'll be back. Aaron only got the chance to come back because his sister's getting married and he had the commitment before he even got into the program (It helps that she's marrying our program director's nephew though)._

_I miss all of you, life's not quite the same without every single one of you around here to drive me mad, and yes, I know I said that already. _

_Tell everyone that I said hi and that I'll come see them as soon as possible. Your grandmum sends me letters all the time telling me to eat, I swear the woman thinks that they starve us in the Auror program or something, which honestly couldn't be further from the truth._

_Also, Liv and Veronica said to tell you hello._

_To the moon and back, love. Write me whenever you get the chance, but make sure Sterling gets plenty of rest, alright? I don't want the poor thing dropping dead because you keep forcing her to fly to Australia to write me. Rent a post owl or borrow Dom's or something, okay?_

_-Teddy_

Victoire smiled and folded up the letter. She tucked it carefully into her pocket and looked up to see Percy standing there, his arms crossed.

"Where did Molly and Sam go?" he asked.

Victoire scratched the back of her arm, "Down to the garden, she wanted to show him some of the flowers, you know how excited she gets about them."

Percy's expression softened, "Alright, but if they're not back in five minutes…"

Audrey rolled her eyes from behind her husband, "Percy, if they're not back in five minutes, you'll leave them be. He's their friend, he's not about to do anything unsavory to Molly." She winked at Victoire just before her husband turned around to face her.

"I don't doubt that he wouldn't, but one can never be too careful," Percy said.

"Go inside and listen to the radio or read your book or something," Audrey said, "You aren't going to do yourself any good if you're worrying over those two. They're fine."

Percy sighed and went back into the house. Audrey shook her head.

"Sometimes I really don't know what to do with him."

Victoire laughed, "I don't really know if there's all that much that can be done, Aunt Audrey. They're mad, the lot of them."

"I'll say," Audrey said, "Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking, marrying into this family, but then I remember that some of us are sane, so it's okay."

"Every family has someone that's completely barmy," Victoire said, "It just so happens that we have more than one person."

"Most of them are perfectly harmless, thankfully," Audrey said. She nodded towards Victoire's hand, which was still tucked in her pocket, "Another letter?"

Victoire nodded, "Yeah, we're doing whatever we can to keep in touch, since he can't exactly Floo by every weekend."

"I'm glad that the two of you are talking to each other again," Audrey said, "What was your fight about, anyway?"

Victoire flushed, "Uh… Nothing important."

"It must've been, if you didn't speak to him for three and a half months," Audrey said, raising her eyebrows, "But I won't push."

"Thanks, Aunt Audrey," Victoire said.

"I was a teenage girl once too, you know," Audrey said, smiling, "I remember some of what it was like, I'm not about to press about things like that. As long as you're both speaking to each other now, I see no reason to intrude."

Victoire grinned, "Yeah, I forgot how much I missed having the prat in my life, but the space did me a lot of good, so I can't say I regret it entirely. Plus, I got Danny out of the bargain, so…"

Audrey chuckled, "Wasn't too bad a deal for you then."

"Definitely not."

She went inside a few minutes later, and people began to arrive not long after. Molly and Sam still hadn't returned from the garden.

"Hey hey," Alexa said, vaulting the fence on the side of the yard, "How's it going, you lot?"

Victoire rolled her eyes, "You're insane."

"And you love me for it," Alexa said, "We've been over this."

Victoire laughed, "Give me a hug, you ninny."

Alexa grinned and hugged Victoire swiftly, "So, how are the lovebirds doing?"

"They're fine," Victoire said, "They went off down to the garden for a little while. Sam had a letter for me from Teddy, so I read it and talked to Aunt Audrey for a little while."

"Anything important?" Alexa asked.

Victoire shrugged, "Not really. He said to tell you lot hello though, and that he'll try to come back in October or some time so that he can come on one of our Hogsmeade weekends to see all of us."

"It'll be good to have him back," Alexa said, "I won't lie, I really missed having him around when you guys were having your… Spot of trouble."

"Nice wording," Victoire said, rolling her eyes, "Yeah, I missed him too, not that I really realized it."

"Have things been weird, after you got your birthday present from him, or…" Alexa trailed off.

Victoire shook her head, "No, we haven't really talked about it all that much, and I'm not planning to bring it up. Danny, remember?"

Alexa nodded, "I know, I was just wondering. So you're okay with him then?"

"Yeah," Victoire said, "He was my best mate for a long time, and that doesn't disappear, even after what happened with us. I just needed space for a while, and he let me have it, and now we're back to how we were before the whole mess started. It's better this way, honestly."

"You're probably right," Alexa said.

"HELLO MY FRIENDS."

They turned to see Monica coming out of the house.

"Hey kid," Alexa said, grinning at the other girl.

"You really need to stop calling me that, I _am_ older than you after all," Monica said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alexa said, "I don't think I'll stop though."

Monica sighed, "I figured."

Victoire laughed, "Mental, the both of you."

"We've been over this," Monica said, "We are, and that's why you love us. Why must this constantly be reviewed?"

"I just like to make sure that you haven't forgotten," Victoire said, "No Jade?"

Monica shook her head, "Not yet. Soon, I'd guess, but I could be wrong."

"Merlin, that still seems weird," Alexa said.

"What?" Victoire asked.

"Just the fact that this time last summer, we completely hated her, and now we're all really close friends," Alexa said, "It's a bit strange, that's all."

"You'll get used to it eventually," Monica said, "And we still really don't like Ruby, so things haven't changed _that_ much."

"I guess," Alexa said, grinning, "I'm glad it's five to one instead of four to two though."

"I think we all are," Victoire said, "Well, except for Ruby."

"She'll get over it eventually," Monica said, "Until then, I'll go out of my way to avoid associating with her, and she'll go out of her way to avoid associating with us, and that will keep things from getting bad."

"It's good that we have that unofficial avoidance policy," Alexa said, "It really stops a lot of things from happening, doesn't it?"

"I'll say," Victoire said, "Merlin, the last five years would have been absolute hell if we didn't have it in place, and they were bad enough as it was."

"What are we going to do without all of the insane pranking this year?" Monica asked, "I don't know about you guys, but I don't think that any of us are quite capable of taking over for Teddy and Sam."

"We've got Fred, Roxy, and James to do the pranking," Victoire said, "We'll be fine. They're even more creative than Sam and Teddy were."

"Which could be both a very good and very bad thing, if you think about it," Alexa said.

"Remember the policy?" Victoire said, "All Weasley family members and their closest friends must be notified of the occurrence of the prank the night before so that they can take appropriate precautions against what may arise from said prank. Teddy and Sam worked very hard to make sure that the kids knew that policy. They won't go against it now, it would dishonour Teddy and Sam's memory."

"I suppose," Monica said, "Although, you can never really be too careful with those three, can you?"

"Definitely not," Victoire said, "I don't even want to think about what sort of things Uncle George has been giving them for the year. Whatever it is, I'm sure they'll be causing a lot of trouble. I'll just have to pretend I don't know about it, I really don't want to have to put them in detention."

"You never put Teddy or Sam in detention," Alexa said.

"Yeah, but Teddy was the Head Boy," Victoire said, "A normal prefect can't exactly put the Head Boy in detention. Besides, he's supposed to be the one who keeps everyone else on track."

"Somehow I doubt that Teddy ever actually did that," Alexa said, "He's got too much of a penchant for mischief, that boy."

Victoire shrugged, "Well, with Liam and Chelsea in charge this year, they'll be much more conscious of what's going on… Then again, I don't think they're anymore likely to throw our cousins to the teachers than Teddy was, so I suppose it might not actually matter as far as we're concerned."

"It won't," Monica said, "They won't do anything about our lot, they like us too much."

"I certainly hope they like us," Alexa said, "It would be a bit unfortunate if they didn't."

"You can say that again," Victoire said, "Considering that you're dating one of them."

Alexa rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Jade, Jake, and Liam arrived a few minutes later, and for a while, all that happened was a lot of hugging. Eventually, they formed a circle at the table.

"Still no Sam and Molly?" Jade asked, "I'm assuming they disappeared."

"Yeah, like a half hour ago," Victoire said, rolling her eyes, "They went down to the garden and they haven't come back yet. I don't even want to know what they're getting up to down there, but I suppose someone should probably go and find out."

Alexa stood, "I'll go get the lovebirds, you guys stay here."

Without waiting for a response, she started down the hill towards the garden.

Victoire shook her head, "Won't take no for an answer, that girl. You'll have your hands full with her, Liam."

Liam laughed, "I've had my hands full with her for a while, and somehow I'm okay with that."

"It's your funeral," Victoire said, grinning at him.

"Pretty good way to die, if you ask me," Liam said.

Jake laughed, "We got some pretty good girls, didn't we mate?"

"Definitely," Liam said.

"No offense, Vic," Jake said.

Victoire chuckled, "No worries, Jake. If Danny were here he'd be agreeing with you. I think. If not, he'd be on the end of one well-deserved Bat-Bogey hex."

"How's Spain for him?" Jake asked, chuckling at Victoire's remark.

"Decent, as far as I know," Victoire said, "I haven't heard much from him since he left, I've mostly been exchanging letters with Teddy the whole time. He said to tell you all hello."

Monica grinned, "Of course he did."

Jade's eyes widened, "Wait, to me too? He doesn't even know me."

"Apparently the boy doesn't care," Victoire said, shrugging, "He just said 'tell everyone I said hi,' so I did."

"It's a nice thought regardless," Jake said, "It's just how he is, he loves everyone."

"Well, he doesn't _love_ everyone," Monica said, "He just likes a lot of people."

Liam laughed, "That distinction is very important."

Monica turned to him with a serious look on her face, "It is though."

Victoire rolled her eyes, "Yeah, it is, but it's not that big a deal, we knew what you meant."

"I HAVE RETRIEVED THEM!"

They turned to see Alexa jogging up the hill from the garden, Sam and Molly close behind.

Victoire raised her eyebrows as her cousin approached, "So much for a few minutes, huh? You're lucky your dad hasn't come looking for you."

"Remind me to thank my mum later," Molly said, "She's been distracting him for me."

Jade grinned, "Someone's getting rebellious."

"Hardly," Molly said, "I just like having the ability to have a boyfriend without having to deal with my father breathing down his neck constantly. Mum loves Sam, she one hundred percent understands why I don't want to have Dad know about it. Besides, it's not like I'm trying to make sure my parents have no idea."

"You're just trying to make sure that the problematic parent has no idea," Victoire said, "I can respect that."

"You'd know all about it, that's why," Alexa said.

"Irrelevant," Victoire said.

Alexa laughed, "Sure, sure, whatever makes you happy, Vic."

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to talk about it anyway," Victoire said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alexa said, "I just couldn't resist, it happens sometimes."

"You're lucky I know that, or _you_ would be the one receiving the Bat-Bogey hex," Victoire said.

"Easy girlies," Monica said, "We don't need to end Molly's birthday early with a trip to St. Mungo's."

"It would hardly require a trip to St. Mungo's," Molly said, rolling her eyes, "I know the counter-curse, and obviously Vic does as well. Lex would be fine."

"I forgot how violent you guys can be," Sam said, shaking his head, "Quidditch is making me go soft."

"I don't know if that's even possible," Jake said, staring at Sam, "Quidditch and soft don't really go together."

"That's what you think," Sam said, "When the guys on your team are virtually the friendliest, most ridiculous people you've ever met, you'll change your mind."

"I thought we were the most ridiculous people you've ever met," Monica said.

"That's why I said virtually," Sam said, "They aren't actually, that's what all of you absolutely insane human beings are for. I'm pretty sure you defy the laws of reason, you're all about a million times more insane than should actually be possible."

Liam grinned, "He does have a bit of a point, actually."

Alexa elbowed him, "Shut up."

"Yes ma'am."

Victoire laughed, "She's got you beat, huh Liam?"

"I know when to take a risk," Liam said, "And if I want to stay in this position, I'm usually better off shutting my mouth when told to."

Monica chuckled, "You boys seem to be pretty good at that. Ben definitely is."

"How is he, anyway?" Victoire asked, "He hasn't really been around all that much."

"He has family in America so he's spending the summer with them," Monica said, shrugging, "He doesn't see them all that often, and I see no reason to head over there since I did live there for a pretty long time, so we're just writing to each other until he gets back, which should be in a few weeks. Sort of like you and Teddy, just less long-term."

Victoire nodded, "Makes sense."

"I still can't believe the prat writes to you, but not to me," Sam said, "I'm his best mate, you'd think he'd be able to spare me a little bit of time."

"What can I say, Sam, you're just not as special to Teddy as I am," Victoire said.

Sam sighed, "I suppose you're right. Such a shame though, we all know that I'm the most brilliant of the lot of us."

"And yet he's off doing Auror things, and you're playing Quidditch," Alexa said, grinning at Sam, "What does that say about the two of you?"

"That we have completely different interests when it comes to careers?" Sam said.

Alexa groaned, "Touché, you asshole."

Sam laughed, "Shouldn't have tried to outsmart me, should you?"

"I think we all know it's a bad idea to try and outsmart any of us, actually," Victoire said, "Considering that we're all reasonably smart people."

"Says the girl who got all of her O.W.L.s," Jade said.

Victoire shrugged, "I study."

"And her parents are brilliant," Molly said, "They've rubbed off on her, apparently."

"The whole family's pretty smart, actually," Victoire said, "Some more so than others, but everyone's pretty brilliant."

"It's just that they apply it in different ways," Alexa said, "Your Uncle George is honestly one of the smartest people I've ever met, and he didn't even finish his N.E.W.T.s."

"He didn't need to," Molly said, "He and Uncle Fred already had their lives set up for them, there was no reason for them to stay at school, especially because it was a million times easier for them to provide Hogwarts students with things to use against Umbridge if they weren't at school. More production time and all of that, plus they didn't have to worry about obtaining things that were banned by the school."

"Either way, I'm glad they did what they did," Jake said, "The Snackboxes are great."

"The everything is great," Sam said, "And I get so much free stuff thanks to this lot, it's ridiculous."

"If the family likes you, it means you're in the family," Molly said, shrugging, "And Uncle George is always quick to give things to the family, especially Uncle Harry's kids."

"He won't say why though," Victoire said, "He just does it."

"If there's one thing I've learned from spending so much time with you lot, it's to never question that man," Sam said.

"It can be very dangerous," Alexa said, "We've heard the stories."

"I'm afraid of my family in general," Victoire said, "The Weasley temper is still a thing that exists, you know."

"Unfortunately," Jade said, shuddering.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Molly said.

"Really," Victoire said.

Jade waved her hand, "It's all in the past now, we're good."

There was a lot of laughing at that, and they continued to talk for a while.

After dinner, once it was dark, they found themselves playing with fireworks, courtesy of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The no-heat, wet-start fireworks had become a staple at Weasley birthday parties, and they enjoyed trying to set off as many different combinations as possible. Luckily, Molly lived relatively far away from any Muggles who might question what was going on, so the group could be as crazy as they wanted without needing to worry about being caught.

As a set of green and blue fireworks lit up the sky, Alexa sighed.

"What's up?" Victoire asked, looking at her best friend.

"It's just going to be a weird year, is all," Alexa said, "No Sam, no Teddy, Liam, Jake, Danny, and Ben's last year, our second to last… Starting to think about what we want to do after we graduate, all of that."

"We're growing up, aren't we?" Monica asked, staring at the sky as the boys set off another set of fireworks, this one red and gold.

"It had to happen sometime," Molly said, "But you're right, it's a bit strange knowing that we're this close to the end."

Jade shook her head, "We have another two years until we graduate, let's not spend all of it dwelling on how we're going to have to leave school."

"It's not really about leaving school," Victoire said, "It's just that this is the first year that's really going to be any different. It's the first year since we started that Teddy and Sam won't be there, it's the first year that we'll spend away from them, and it's just going to be odd. They've been pretty permanent fixtures in our lives."

"It'll be fine," Molly said, "We'll make sure that it is. They'll come visit us when they can, or at least, Sam will, and we'll talk to them as much as possible. Teddy will be back eventually, and I'm sure he and Sam will share Sam's flat at that point, and then they'll be around to bother us whenever they can."

"I suppose you're right," Victoire said, "I hope you are, anyway."

She left at just past eleven, as the fireworks were running out. Jake had left before her, citing breakfast with his sister the next day as the reason for his departure.

"See you whenever, kid," Victoire said, hugging Molly.

Molly rolled her eyes and hugged Victoire back, "I'm barely three months younger than you, I'm hardly a kid."

"Still younger than me though," Victoire said, grinning, "Later."

"Yeah, yeah," Molly said.

Victoire went into the kitchen, where she pinched some Floo powder out of the pot on the mantle and threw it into the fireplace, "SHELL COTTAGE."

She arrived in the living room of her house a few moments later, and she dusted herself off as she clambered out of the fireplace.

Dominique looked up from her spot on the couch, "So, how was it?"

"Fine," Victoire said, "Sam's doing pretty well."

"That's good," Dom said, "Anything interesting happen?"

Victoire shrugged, "I got a letter from Teddy, he says hi. I need to go write him back."

Dom rolled her eyes, "Sometimes I really don't understand you two. First you're best friends, then you're together, then you're not speaking, and now you're back to being best friends again."

"He's been my best mate for a long time," Victoire said, "We just made some mistakes."

"Heard from Danny recently?" Dom asked.

Victoire shook her head, "He's awfully busy, he doesn't get much of a chance to write. He's not back until almost before school starts, so it's going to be a while before I see him."

"Things are still okay with you guys, then?"

"Fine, yeah," Victoire said, "We're handling the whole being apart thing rather well, actually."

Dom raised her eyebrows, "What does rather well mean?"

"We talk when we can, we're looking forward to seeing each other," Victoire said, "Is that good enough, or…"

"Yeah," Dom said, "Just checking."

"Sure you were," Victoire said.

Dom rolled her eyes, "Well, I had to ask."

"Was there anyone you liked last year?" Victoire asked, eyeing her younger sister.

"Yeah right," Dom said, "I have so much to do with Quidditch that I don't even have time to think about boys."

"That's what you say, but it could be false," Victoire said, "And with the way you are, there's no way you haven't thought about anybody, even just in passing."

"That's what you think," Dom said.

Victoire sighed and rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, Dom. I'm going to go write Teddy back, I'll see you tomorrow."

Dom nodded, "Later."

Victoire tugged on her sister's ponytail as she walked past, dodged Dom's swat, and went up to her bedroom.

Her owl, Sterling, was sitting on her perch. She looked imperiously at Victoire as the girl entered the room.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," Victoire said, stroking Sterling's head, "You love Teddy, I know you don't mind flying to see him, even if it is a bit of a trip."

Sterling nipped at Victoire's fingers. Victoire shook her head and sat down at her desk, where she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. Dipping the quill into her bottle of ink, she began to write.

_Teddy,_

_Everyone says hi, we all miss you a lot._

_I hope you'll get the chance to come back up here at some point, things really aren't the same and I know that Sam misses you a lot. You two have never really been separated like this, have you? He's busy enough that I don't think that he really gets too much time to think about the fact that you're not around, but I know he definitely notices that you aren't, and I don't think he likes it much either._

_It's really odd thinking that I'm going to be going to school without you for the first time this year. I mean, I know I can do it, but it won't be the same without you and Sam pulling all of your absolutely mental pranks. Thankfully Liam and Chelsea got the Head spots, so there shouldn't be any terrible pairings this year as far as prefects go, but we'll see what happens. Here's to me getting Head Girl next year, I really want that dormitory, it's beautiful._

_When you finally start doing practical work, please be careful. I really don't want to have to deal with you being severely injured, I don't think it would be particularly fun._

_Come back when you can, I want to see you, and I know everyone else does too._

_Sterling loves coming to see you, but I'll give her a break when she shows me that she needs one, alright? I don't want to overwork her anymore than you want me to, but she's had a bit of time to relax now so I think she'll be alright._

_Also, make sure you eat, Grandmum just wants you to be healthy. Just don't eat too much._

_-Victoire_

She rolled the parchment up and looked at Sterling, "Ready to fly?"

The owl clicked her beak impatiently. Victoire fixed the parchment carefully to Sterling's leg, and the owl took off through the open window moments later. Victoire watched Sterling go, shaking her head.

"Sometimes I really don't know what to do with her…" Victoire said, sighing.

She went to bed not long after that.

* * *

**A/N:**

**And it's the first installment of the sequel to In Your Arms I'll Stay!**

**I hope you guys enjoy it, things will pick up pretty quickly and get a lot more exciting, just give it a few chapters. They have to get through the rest of the summer first. I've got some really good ideas for this story, so hopefully I'll be able to write chapter three sooner rather than later, but school happens, as does life, so there is currently an indefinite update schedule due to the close proximity of my finals.**

**And prom.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	2. Chapter 2

_Tori,_

_I work so hard down here that I don't think it's humanly possible for me to gain weight, and believe me, I've been eating._

_A lot._

_You'll have to tell Sam that the idiot can come down here to visit me whenever he wants to (As long as he understands that I'm going to be pretty busy and not able to see him all the time). I'd extend the invitation to you, but you've got school to think about and I really don't want to get in the way of that._

_Let Harry know that his gift is on its way, but that it's going to be a bit late, since it's kind of difficult to get everything sent up from here, what with the distance and all. Letters are one thing, but bigger packages take forever. _

_I hope you guys had a good time on Molly's birthday, and I wish I could've been there. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a journey to make, and they won't let me leave without a serious reason, so I probably wouldn't have been able to get up there anyway._

_Don't let the kids get up to too much mischief without me, alright? Not that they could really outdo Sam and me anyway, but still._

_Again, Liv and Veronica say hello. I think I'm annoying them with how much I keep talking about you and the rest of our lot, but what am I supposed to do? It's not like I can come and see you or anything._

_-Teddy_

_Teddy,_

_You can always write to me about how much you miss us, it'll save Olivia and Veronica from having to listen to you. They're taking the program well then? _

_I'm glad you're down there with people you like, it would be a bit of shame if you were stuck with a bunch of gits the entire time._

_Obviously, they're nowhere near my level of brilliance or Sam's level of hilarity, but you've only got so many choices down in Australia._

_I'll get down there eventually, but I doubt it'll be before you come back. I really want to go and visit now, it sounds really interesting and I feel like I could learn a lot if I spent a bit of time down there. Maybe I should take a trip once I'm of age… Not for long, obviously, only a week or two, but it would still be pretty cool to be able to go and see what it's like. I'll bet it's a lot warmer than it is here, though it hasn't been too bad lately. _

_If you want Sam to come, why don't you write him? I'm not your messenger._

_The kids are… Stocking up, thanks to Uncle George. I shudder to think of what they might have thought up. If it's anything close to what you and Sam did, I'm sure we'll all find plenty of hilarity in it._

_I told Uncle Harry, he laughed and said it was fine, so I think you're alright._

_Molly's birthday was good. She and Sam are still doing really well, same with Jade and Jake, and Alexa and Liam. Thankfully Ben wasn't there, so I wasn't the only one without a boyfriend during the party. Not that I have a problem with my boyfriend being M.I.A., I know he'll be back, but it gets kind of awkward sometimes when I'm the only one._

_Meet any pretty Australian girls?_

_-Victoire_

_Tori,_

_I've met lots of pretty Australian girls. They're just not very challenging, that's all. Besides, I'm trying to focus on my job, not relationships, and I'd have to leave whoever it was behind when I went home anyway. There's one girl in the program though, her name is Tatiana, I think she might be coming back when we do in order to do a similar thing with our Ministry as we're doing with theirs. She's awfully nice, I think the two of you would really get along._

_Liv and Veronica are doing really well, they've settled in nicely down here. Those two belong in Australia, they should've been born here._

_And maybe I will write Sam, since you can't do me the simple favor of asking him._

_I'm just kidding, you're right, I probably should write to him._

_Write me and let me know what all the younguns come up with, I want to know if they're living up to the standards Sam and I set._

_I'll have to go with you when you visit Australia, it's really great down here and I will honestly miss it when I get home, but still… Nothing quite like being back in the UK with my favorite people, so I suppose I'd rather have home over Australia._

_It's been an awfully long month or so, we've been working really hard on theory and whatnot so I haven't had too much time to go out and have a lot of fun, unfortunately. It would be great to spend some time here as a tourist instead of as someone who's here to work, so coming back with someone would be good._

_I'm glad everything is going alright for you lot up there, it would be a shame if I came back to find out that everything had been tipped on its head._

_I'll try and make it back soon, I promise, but I don't know when it'll be. _

_Also, Liv said that she's pretty sure that I'm going to die of Weasley withdrawals soon._

_Let's hope she's wrong, it would be awful if I was dead before I got home. She might be right though, I really do miss the whole lot of you._

_-Teddy_

Victoire laughed and folded up the letter before leaning back on her towel and closing her eyes to the sun. Beside her, Alexa rolled onto her stomach and looked at her best friend.

"What's so funny?"

"Weasley withdrawals," Victoire said, grinning, "Apparently that's what Olivia has termed Teddy's constant monologue about how much he misses us."

"That's a better name than anything I could've ever come up with," Alexa said, "He really misses everyone, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," Victoire said, "Can't say I blame him though, we are pretty great if you ask me."

"Does he have any idea when he'll be back for good?" Alexa asked.

Victoire shrugged, "He didn't say, so I honestly have no idea."

"He must really not know then," Alexa said, "He'd probably tell you in a heartbeat, wouldn't he?"

"I'd think so," Victoire said, "If only because I'm really the only one out of the bunch of us that he's really been in touch with over the last month or so. It's going to be a while though, I'd guess, probably not until close to next summer, at the earliest."

"I can't help but wonder if they'll let them all come back for Christmas," Alexa said, "It would be kind of sad if they weren't able to."

Victoire shrugged, "Well, we'll find out eventually, won't we? I agree though, it would be unfortunate if they couldn't get home for Christmas. They're already away from their family and friends for a pretty large amount of time, what reason would there be to prevent them for coming back for a week or so?"

"They might think it's a distraction or something," Alexa said, "Regardless, I do hope they let them come back, it's weird having a friend in Australia with no idea when they'll be home."

"You're telling me," Victoire said, "Well, here's to them coming back, then."

"Yeah," Alexa said.

They laid there on the beach in the sun for a while. It was warm, and there wasn't a cloud in sight, so they were taking advantage of their last few days left before they went back to school.

"When does Danny get back?" Alexa asked, after a while.

"Any day now," Victoire said, "I'm pretty sure I won't see him until the first though, he has to do all of his school shopping and whatnot in the next few days, so he's going to be really busy."

"Do you think you two will end up on rounds together?" Alexa asked.

"I don't have any clue, honestly," Victoire said, "Maybe, but I have a feeling they'll stick me with Liam, actually."

"So now you can steal my boyfriend, huh?" Alexa asked, grinning, "Just kidding, I know you'd never do that."

"Plus, it's Liam," Victoire said, "He's practically a Weasley anyway, that would be weird."

Alexa laughed, "It would be, definitely."

"I'm glad you two are doing so well," Victoire said, "He's always been such a nice guy, and I know how hard it was for you to summon the courage to talk to him."

"We're such similar people, it's easy," Alexa said, "I just didn't really think of it that way, which is why I had problems. Once I found out that we had so much in common, talking to him became the easiest thing in the world."

"We have a nice bunch, don't we?" Victoire asked, "Lots of nice people."

"It helps that half your family goes to Hogwarts," Alexa said, "You've got the place just in sheer force of numbers."

Victoire laughed, "Yeah, you're right. And with Louis starting this year, there's even more of us."

"He's the only Weasley in his year, isn't he?" Alexa asked.

Victoire nodded, "Yeah, but Lee's son Max is starting too, and they know each other already. Plus, he's got all of us, and he'll have Al, Rose, Lorcan, and Lysander next year anyway."

"Good point," Alexa said, "Lily and Hugo are the last of your lot, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are," Victoire said, "I won't be there when they start, unfortunately, but they'll have the rest of the Weasleys other than me."

"That's good then," Alexa said, "Just so long as they aren't alone."

"They'll never be alone at Hogwarts," Victoire said, smiling slightly.

They continued to lay there in the sun, eyes closed.

After a while, Alexa sat up, "I should probably head home."

Victoire sat up as well and made a face, "Do you really need to leave now? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you stayed for dinner, they never mind when it's you."

Alexa sighed, "Mum needs more time with me before I go, you know, all of that fun stuff."

"Shame," Victoire said, "But alright then."

They stood up and shook out their towels before heading back to the house. Alexa pulled on her cover-up and grinned at Victoire, "See you in a few days."

"Always," Victoire said, smiling back, "King's Cross, eleven o'clock."

"Yeah," Alexa said, "And we get the Head's compartment again this year… It's going to be good."

Victoire nodded, "I have a feeling it's going to be a really good year."

"Bye then," Alexa said.

Victoire waved at her best friend, who went into the kitchen. An unintelligible shout came, there was the sound of flames roaring, and then silence. Victoire hung her towel up on the hook just inside the door and went to the living room. Louis was sitting there pouring over a textbook.

Victoire raised her eyebrows, "Lou, you don't start classes for another few days. Why are you reading your books now?"

"I want to be prepared," Louis said.

"Are you sure you're not Aunt Hermione's child?" Victoire asked.

"Positive," Louis said, shutting his book, "Besides, you do work early all the time."

Victoire laughed, "Not really, Lou. Only when I have extensive amounts of free time, which doesn't happen very often during the year. School takes a lot of work and a lot of time, I only have so many chances to finish things early."

"But I'm not playing Quidditch," Louis said.

"True," Victoire said, "Very true. It'll save you a lot of time. Although, with Sam gone, things could be completely different this year."

"Think about who's going to be captain, and then think about what you just said," Louis said.

Victoire rolled her eyes, "You're too smart for an eleven year old."

"Someone has to be the brains around here," Louis said.

"And that someone has to be you?" Victoire asked.

"Possibly," Louis said, "I haven't really decided yet, honestly. Sometimes I think it might be one of you two, but then you prove me wrong."

"Sure, Louis," Victoire said, "Sure."

She patted him on the head and exited the living room.

When she entered her room, it was to see Sterling sitting on her perch beside Teddy's owl, who was named Grunnion. The tawny owl fluttered his wings slightly, and Victoire stroked his head lightly before sitting down at her desk.

_Teddy,_

_I quite like Olivia's term for your situation, it's very nice. I might have to steal it and start using it. "Weasley withdrawals." It's lovely._

_I do hope you come back soon, I do miss you a lot and I know that the others do too._

_School starts again three days from when I'm sending this, so by the time your next letter reaches me, I'll be in my dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. It's going to be really strange not having you and Sam around, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with my time. It's not like I really have exams to study for right now, so I'm just hoping that something interesting will happen so that I can spend the next few months being busy. It's a lot easier to miss people when there's nothing going on, so keeping busy would be nice._

_We'll visit Australia together at some point, I promise. You can show me all of the places that you'll have been to during the program, and we can go and do all of those things that tourists like to do that you're missing out on while you're stuck in training. _

_I'm glad everything is going well._

_Here's to us seeing you soon._

_-Victoire_

Victoire folded the letter and attached it to Grunnion's leg. The owl nipped her finger affectionately and took off through the open window. Sterling fixed her gaze on her owner, who sighed.

"Oh, stop looking at me like that," Victoire said, "You've done a lot of flying and I wanted to give you a break. Go hunt or something if you want to fly, I'm not stopping you."

Victoire settled down on her bed with a book a short while later, and she read until there was a knock at the door.

"Yeah?" she called.

"Victoire?" her mother called back.

"Come in, yeah," Victoire said, shutting her book and setting it aside, "What is it?"

"Can we talk?" Fleur asked.

"About?" Victoire asked.

"Teddy," Fleur said.

"What do you mean?" Victoire asked.

"'ow are you two?" Fleur asked, "I know you were 'aving trouble."

Victoire shrugged, "I mean, we're alright. Things just got… Complicated."

"'ow so?" Fleur asked.

"I'm an idiot," Victoire said, "I mean, I wrote you about it. We both did and said things we shouldn't have, we had a falling out, and then we both apologized to each other and agreed that we could be friends. It's really not that complicated."

"Are you certain you are 'appy with zat?" Fleur asked.

"Fine, yeah," Victoire said, "He's my best mate, has been for a long time, it's only right that he stay that way."

"Alright," Fleur said, "Alright."

She left the room. Victoire groaned and fell backwards onto her bed.

The next afternoon found her sitting on the bed in a different bedroom, talking emphatically to Jade.

"Everyone keeps asking me if I'm sure, or if I'm happy, and I'm sitting here going, 'do you think I would do this if I wasn't happy?'" Victoire said, "I honestly don't know what they expect from me. Am I supposed to be like 'Merlin, Teddy, I love you, I'm going to break up with Danny so that I can date you again,' or what? I'm happy with how things are, I don't know why people keep questioning it."

Jade shrugged, "You and Teddy love each other. Don't give me that look, you know what I mean. You guys have a serious connection, and whether it's entirely platonic or not is your business, not anyone else's. People are just confused because everyone's been betting on your relationship for a long time and things haven't exactly gone according to what was expected. You're just not fitting what people thought would happen, and they're confused, that's all. It'll be fine, you and Danny are happy, Teddy seems to be doing well, I don't really know what all of the fuss is about."

"Exactly," Victoire said, "Things are going really well in general, I'm not sure what people are trying to find here. Everything is pretty straightforward, if you ask me."

"I'm with you on that, definitely," Jade said, "You've done what's best for you, you've managed to patch things up with your best mate, you've admitted that you weren't completely right, and you guys are pretty much back to normal. There's nothing particularly confusing about it. People are just overanalyzing, that's all. We like to, it's fun, that's why they're doing it."

Victoire groaned, "I wish they wouldn't though."

"We all wish for things that don't happen," Jade said, "Unfortunately, you're one of the more exciting things to happen recently, so they're taking what they can get."

"Damn teenagers and our penchant for gossip," Victoire said, sighing, "Oh well. How are things going for you and Jake? You guys have seemed pretty good."

Jade visibly brightened at the mention of her boyfriend's name, "Things are really good, honestly. I owe you big time for leaving us together at Hogsmeade the one day, it really helped out a lot. We've talked a bit about next year and all, but we'll see what happens."

"He wanted to be an Auror, didn't he?" Victoire asked, "Or am I thinking of Danny here?"

"It's crossed his mind, yeah," Jade said, "He's a bit torn though, he also thinks that Healing would be interesting. He could do either, he's taking the N.E.W.T.s necessary for both, but he hasn't really made up his mind yet."

"He'll be good at whatever he picks," Victoire said, "I'm surprised he's not going for Quidditch."

Jade shrugged, "He says he's not that interested in playing professionally. He likes to play at school, and he likes to watch professional matches, but he said that he doesn't think he would enjoy it that much. Too much pressure, for one thing, and he's also always wanted to do something that would be really useful to the Wizarding World beyond entertainment."

"Understandable," Victoire said, "It's a pretty lofty career goal though."

"He'll do it," Jade said, "I know he will. We're all going to be in an interesting situation next year, won't we?"

Victoire raised her eyebrows, "Meaning?"

"All of our boyfriends will be gone," Jade said.

Victoire laughed, "If we're all still dating them, but yeah, I get your point. It'll be even stranger than this coming year, I'd guess."

"Maybe not though," Jade said, "We'll be pretty used to dealing with the fact that people that we're close to aren't around, it might actually make things easier next year. Who knows though, I could be wrong."

"You're probably right, actually," Victoire said, "By the time the rest of the boys go off, we'll have spent a year learning how to manage having fewer friends around than normal. It'll make it way easier, I'd guess."

"I certainly hope so," Jade said, "I'm glad that I'll still have you lot though."

"Same," Victoire said.

"Girls, dinner!"

Jade looked at Victoire, "Shall we?"

"Sounds good," Victoire said.

They went downstairs to the dining room. Jade's mum had settled onto her chair, and Jade's father was setting the last dish on the table. Trent and Maddie, Jade's younger siblings, were both already seated.

"Thank you for having me, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander," Victoire said, sitting down, "I know everyone's really concerned about family time right now, since we're back to school so soon, so it's lovely to be here."

Mrs. Alexander smiled, "It's not a problem at all, Victoire. And you know you're allowed to call us Natalie and David, we've told you that so many times."

"Sorry," Victoire said.

Jade rolled her eyes, "Let the girl be ridiculously polite if it makes her feel better, Mum. Pass the potatoes?"

Mrs. Alexander laughed, "Of course."

They ate quietly for a while, and then Mrs. Alexander spoke, "So, Victoire, you're going to be a prefect again this year?"

Victoire nodded, "Yeah, it's going to be my second year doing it, so hopefully it'll be a bit easier."

"Who are the Heads?" Mr. Alexander asked.

"Liam Wood and Chelsea Edwards," Jade said, "They're both Gryffindors, and they're really nice, so hopefully they won't run too tight of a ship during school this year."

"I wouldn't say that Teddy and Serenity ran a tight ship exactly," Victoire said, "They just wanted to be sure that everyone was doing their job properly. The thing about it was that Teddy was, well, Teddy, so it's not like there was any chance of either of them being too uptight."

"True," Jade said, "I was actually a bit surprised by how good Teddy was, I figured he'd still be pranking all the time."

"He toned it down a bit last year," Victoire said, "Had to make sure that he set a reasonably good example, after all."

Mrs. Alexander laughed, "He was a prankster?"

"A huge one," Victoire said, "Him and his friend Sam, they were the most crafty people when it came to pranking."

"Those were the boys you liked, weren't they?" Mrs. Alexander asked, looking at Jade.

Jade flushed, "Mum!"

"You always talked about them when you came home," Mrs. Alexander said, "Teddy did this, Sam did that, Teddy's hair is so cute…"

Victoire laughed, "Sounds about right, yeah."

"I stopped as soon as I became friends with you, please," Jade said, "It was a bit weird to be obsessing over your friend's best mate, even if you two were fighting at the time. Besides, being friends with you humanized those two a bit for me, I stopped seeing them as being so great."

"Wha' abou' Jake?" Maddie asked, her mouth full.

Jade smiled, "That happened after I stopped worrying about Sam and Teddy, Mads. He's not going anywhere, don't worry. I know you like him."

Trent rolled his eyes, "Jake's cool. You, on the other hand…"

"Oh, shut up," Jade said, "You're ten years old, you don't know what cool is."

Victoire grinned, "And this is why I'm glad that Louis and I get on so well."

"Louis is your brother?" Mrs. Alexander asked.

"Yes," Victoire nodded, "I'm the oldest. My sister Dom is a year below me, and Louis is starting school this year. He's really excited."

Mr. Alexander laughed, "I remember that. I'm the middle child, so I went through my brother going to school before I did, and my sister going after me. I got on fairly well with the both of them, but they fought all the time."

"Why?" Trent asked.

"Well, Rich was playing the big-brother role, and as far as he was concerned, Lacey was still a kid, so he didn't let her do much of anything without kicking up a fuss," Mr. Alexander said, "She didn't take very kindly to being treated like a child, especially in her last few years at Hogwarts, so they argued a lot. Who could and couldn't date her, who her friends should be… As far as he was concerned, he was just looking out for her, and as far as she was concerned, he was intruding into her life."

"Why didn't you ever argue with her about that?" Jade asked.

"I did, a few times," Mr. Alexander said, "But she and I were close enough in age that it was a lot easier for me to see why she would get so annoyed by that, especially since I got a fairly similar treatment from Rich. Not quite as bad as Lacey had it, but she was a girl and he felt that he had to protect her a lot more than me."

Jade winced, "I can't imagine anyone treating Aunt Lacey like that. She'd have them in a Body-Bind in an instant."

Mrs. Alexander smiled, "Your Aunt Lacey was always a spitfire, even when I first met her. She's just gotten a lot more intimidating as the years have gone on and people have seen what she'll do to those who question her ability to do magic, purely because she's a girl."

"Girl power," Victoire said, laughing, "Always a good thing."

"Gross," Trent said.

Jade raised her eyebrows, "Don't push it, kid."

"Plus, I doubt you'll be saying that in five years," Victoire said, "Just wait till you start liking girls instead of thinking that they're going to infect you with something."

"He's getting pretty close to that age already," Mrs. Alexander said, "I bet you he'll have a crush by the end of his first year."

"I know James did," Victoire said, "My cousin, he was a first year last year. He had one before his first year even started."

"It could be coming a lot sooner than you think," Mr. Alexander said, looking at his son, "And don't write girls off completely, they're not so bad."

"I mean, they're pretty, but…" Trent trailed off, shuddering, "I've seen what Jade is like."

Jade rolled her eyes, "Just wait. And if it's boys… Go ahead, we'll still love you."

"Unlike poor Eric's parents," Mrs. Alexander said, shaking her head, "How's he doing anyway, Jade?"

Jade smiled slightly, "He and Colin are really happy still. They moved into a new flat last week."

"Who's this?" Victoire asked.

"Jade's best friend from when she was younger," Mrs. Alexander said, "He's a few years older than she is, so he's been out of Hogwarts for a while. His parents didn't take too kindly to the fact that he brought home a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend."

"Stupidly," Mr. Alexander said, rolling his eyes, "He's a good kid, I don't know why they got so worked up about it."

"They never really took the time to talk to him," Jade said, sighing, "And he's pretty happy regardless, so it could be worse."

"True," Mrs. Alexander said, "Very true."

Victoire went home not long after dinner. She emerged from the fireplace in the kitchen to see her father sitting at the table pouring over a piece of parchment, his brow furrowed.

"Everything alright, Dad?" Victoire asked.

Bill looked up from the parchment and smiled, "You're home." His smile faded, "Everything's fine, yes, this is just a notice about something for work."

"Nothing bad, right?" Victoire asked.

"Nothing that immediately affects us," Bill said, "Something happened in Egypt where I used to work, and they need me to go out there for a little while to oversee things and make sure that everything is sorted out properly, since I know the area and the work quite well."

"You're not leaving tomorrow?" Victoire asked, "You have to be there to see us off!"

Bill smiled slightly, "I don't leave until the day after you do. I just feel bad leaving your mum here alone."

Victoire nodded, "I understand, but remember, she has lots of other Weasleys that she can go and visit. It's not like she's alone here."

"I know," Bill said, "I'm sure it'll be fine, I just feel bad. Her youngest goes off to school without her for a year, and her husband has to leave to go to Egypt the day after. The house will be quiet, that's all. I know your mum will be fine, she always is."

"It's that Veela blood," Victoire said, laughing.

"I'd say it's the Weasley blood, because we're all fairly resourceful, but your mum is a Weasley in name only, so maybe you're right," Bill said.

"Does that mean that Dom, Lou, and I are doubly resourceful because we have Veela blood _and _Weasley blood?" Victoire asked.

Bill laughed, "I dunno, Vic, you tell me. Are you excited to go back to school?"

"Definitely," Victoire said, "It's going to be a good year, I think. I have a feeling, you know what I mean."

"I do," Bill said, "I think you'll be fine, you're all set up well for the next couple of years."

"And Professor McGonagall will be around for a while, so we've still got the family friends at school," Victoire said, "I'm glad she is, she can be a bit strict, but I'd miss her a lot if she left."

"She's nowhere near as old as Dumbledore was while I was at school," Bill said, "I'll bet she's got a lot of years left."

"I hope so," Victoire said, "It wouldn't feel right if she was gone partway through the schooling of any Weasley or Potter child."

"I'm sure she'll stick around until Lily and Hugo graduate," Bill said, "She has a vested interest in the family, plus I think she misses having Harry, Ron, and Hermione causing trouble, even if she would never admit it to anyone."

Victoire grinned, "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, I'm going to go to bed, Dad, so I'll see you in the morning."

"Will do," Bill said, "Night, Vic."

"Night, Dad," Victoire said.

As she passed through the living room to go upstairs, she nodded at her siblings and mother, "Night, Dom, Louis, Mum."

"Goodnight, Victoire," Fleur said.

"Night, Vic," Dom and Louis chorused.

After sticking her tongue out at her brother and sister, Victoire went upstairs to her bedroom. Sterling wasn't on her perch, leading Victoire to assume that she was out hunting, so Victoire changed into her pajamas and settled herself under the blankets on her bed. With a final glance at the photograph on her nightstand, she shut the light off.

The photographed versions of herself, Teddy, Alexa, Molly, and Sam continued to laugh long after she had fallen asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **

**And here we have chapter two!**

**Like I said, indefinite upload schedule following these two, but that's that.**

**Not much else from me right now, I covered pretty much everything in the Author's Note for Chapter One.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	3. Chapter 3

"We need to leave, Dom," Bill yelled.

"I'm coming," Dom yelled back.

Sure enough, she came pounding down the stairs only a moment later, dragging her trunk behind her. Victoire raised her eyebrows.

"Sure you got everything?"

Dom rolled her eyes, "Yeah, positive, thanks."

"Come on, we don't want to be late," Bill said.

After Victoire and her siblings had gotten a suitable hold on the arms of either Bill or Fleur, they Apparated to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

The platform was crowded with people, many of their faces obscured by steam.

"I'll see you both at Christmas," Victoire said, kissing her parents on the cheek, "And I swear I'll write."

"We know you will," Bill said, "You always good."

"Au revoir, Victoire," Fleur said, smiling at her eldest child, "'ave a good year."

"Thanks Mum," Victoire said, grinning. She ruffled Louis's hair, "I'll see you at school, kid."

He stuck his tongue out at her, "Yeah, yeah."

"Enjoy the ride on the lake, Lou," Dom said. Her voice faded as Victoire walked away, dragging her trunk behind her. Sterling's cage hung in her hand, the owl hooting impatiently.

"Yes, I know," Victoire said, "Let me find the others and we'll get you settled."

She continued to walk through the crowd, occasionally greeting people that she recognized.

"VIC!"

She whirled around to see Jade standing there with her parents and siblings. She was waving enthusiastically. Victoire grinned and jogged over to her friend.

"I was wondering how long it would take to encounter someone I knew," Victoire said, "Looks like my question has been answered. Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, Trent, Maddie.'

"I think I'm in good hands now, Mum, Dad," Jade said, looking at her parents, "We're going to try and find everyone else."

Mrs. Alexander nodded, "Alright. Well, have a good year, make sure that you write, and we'll see you at Christmas."

"Definitely," Jade said. She hugged her parents and siblings, who then waved and disappeared with a loud crack. She turned to Victoire, "Shall we?"

"Let's," Victoire said.

They started off down the platform, and eventually found Chelsea and Nick, who smiled at the sight of their friends.

"Hey," Nick said, hugging Victoire tightly, "Long time, no see."

Victoire hugged him back, her brow furrowed, "Nick, we barely talked to each other at all last year."

"Which is a problem, hence me saying that it's been a while since I've seen you," Nick said, rolling his eyes and stepping back, "You're basically my second little sister, Vic, you know this."

Chelsea glared at him, "You prat, you're only older than me by two and a half minutes."

"Still older though," Nick said.

Victoire laughed, "Fred and Roxy go through this argument regularly."

"I bet," Chelsea said, sighing. Her eyes brightened again when she looked between Jade and Victoire, "Want to leave your things in the Head's carriage? There's no reason for you to keep carrying them around while you're looking for people."

"That would be wonderful, yeah," Victoire said.

"Alright," Chelsea said, "It's right here, actually." She gestured to the open door behind her.

"Great," Jade said.

The two girls entered the compartment and divested themselves of their belongings before reemerging onto the platform.

"So, is your brother around here somewhere?" Victoire asked, looking between Chelsea and Nick.

Nick laughed, "He's off snogging your cousin, I'm sure he'll come say good-"

"VIC!"

Victoire was caught into a large hug from behind. She laughed and turned to face her best friend.

"Lexa, it's literally been about three days since I last saw you, you don't have to act like it's been months."

"It felt like months," Alexa said, "I see you basically every day for nine months of the year, I'm used to living with you. Where's Edwards?"

"Here, actually."

They turned to see Sam and Molly, the latter of whom was looking a bit flushed. Victoire winked at her, and Molly grew even redder.

"Give me a hug, you great prat," Victoire said, looking back to Sam.

He laughed and obliged, before hugging them all in turn.

"I've got to head out, I've got practice in a couple of hours, but I'll see you lot as soon as possible," Sam said, "Chelsea, be a good Head. Nick, don't let her get too drunk on power."

Chelsea rolled her eyes, "As if I would, you jerk."

Sam grinned, "Just making sure." He glanced around, kissed Molly swiftly one more time, and then Disapparated.

Victoire laughed, "Gonna miss him, Molls?"

"Oh, shut up," Molly said, "Just because _some_ of us have boyfriends that are still at school…"

"Actually, you're the only one of us that doesn't," Alexa said.

"Hey guys."

They all turned at the sound of a familiar voice to see Monica, Ben, and Liam standing there. All three grinned.

"We ran into each other and decided to come and find you lot," Liam said. He hugged and kissed Alexa swiftly, before moving to hug every other member of the group, "Ready for a good year?"

"I'm just glad you showed up so that I don't have to do everything on my own," Chelsea said, shrugging.

Liam rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Has anyone seen Danny, or has my boyfriend just mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet?" Victoire asked, looking around at her friends.

Monica shrugged, "We didn't see him, he could just be running a bit late."

Nick looked down at his watch, "Well, he'd better hurry, the train leaves in ten minutes."

"He'll be here," Alexa said, "You'd have to be remarkably stupid to miss the train."

"Or cursed by a house elf," Molly said.

Victoire chuckled, "Or cursed by a house elf, yeah."

"You're talking about Dobby, aren't you?" Monica asked.

"That we are," Victoire said, "Good observation skills, Mon."

"I try," Monica said, grinning.

"Seriously though, I'm sure he'll be here," Jade said, "He's never struck me as the type to be late, and I don't think that he'd want to have to go through missing the train when it's his last year of school."

"You're probably right," Victoire said, "I just like to be sure."

"HEY, YOU LOT."

"Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear," Alexa said wryly.

Victoire turned to see Danny walking swiftly down the platform towards her.

Leading another girl.

By the hand.

"Well, this is interesting," Monica muttered.

Jade elbowed her, "Be nice."

Danny stopped in front of Victoire. He pecked her lips swiftly and then grinned, "Vic, I'd like you to meet Vanessa. Nessa, this is Victoire, my girlfriend."

The pretty dark-haired girl smiled and shook Victoire's hand, "It's lovely to meet you. I'm Vanessa, like Danny said, but most people tend to call me Nessa."

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Victoire asked, "I tend to go by Vic, by the way."

Nessa laughed, "You're funny."

Danny's grin widened, "Nessa here was my best friend while I was growing up. Her parents moved their family to Spain when we were ten- her mum is Spanish- and they just moved back here. She's going to be in Ravenclaw, it's the equivalent of her house from her old school in Spain. She's in my year though. I hope you lot won't mind if she spends a lot of time with us."

"Of course not," Victoire said, "Why would we?" She ignored the piercing gazes of her friends behind her, "Nessa, this is… Well, I'll let you lot introduce yourself, it makes things less complicated. Lexa?"

Alexa nodded, "I'm Alexa, Vic's best friend."

"I'm Liam," Liam said, "Head Boy, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and Alexa's boyfriend."

"I'm Ben," Ben said, smiling, "Nothing particularly important, Hufflepuff, Monica's boyfriend."

Monica laughed softly, "I'm Monica. Gryffindor, Quidditch match announcer, Ben's girlfriend."

Nick flicked two fingers in greeting, "Nick, the elder twin, Chelsea's brother, Liam's best mate."

Chelsea rolled her eyes, "I'm Chelsea, Nick's twin sister. I'm a Gryffindor and also Head Girl."

"My name's Molly," Molly said, "I'm Vic's cousin, Gryffindor as well."

"Jade," Jade said, nodding swiftly, "Gryffindor, mates with this lot. My boyfriend's around here somewhere, probably with his friends. His name is Jake, he's the Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"Lots of Gryffindors here then," Nessa said, "What house is that?"

"House of the courageous," Alexa said.

"And brash," Monica said.

"The daring as well," Victoire said.

"Also the chivalrous," Liam said.

"The lions," Chelsea said.

"The best house," Jade said, shrugging.

"That's debatable," Ben said.

Monica laughed, "No it isn't."

"So what are the Ravenclaws, then? The ravens?" Nessa asked.

Victoire and Molly exchanged glances, only to burst out laughing.

"Sorry," Victoire said, clutching her sides, "It's just that… If a Ravenclaw heard you say that, you wouldn't be standing here."

"They're the eagles," Monica said, "They don't like it very much when people assume that their house animal is a raven, just because of the name."

"But then why call it Ravenclaw?" Nessa asked.

"It's the last name of the house's founder," Liam said, "Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin."

Nessa nodded, "I see, I think."

"We should really get on the train," Nick said, "It's leaving in a few minutes."

"I'm with Nick on this one," Monica said, "I really don't want to be left here."

"They'll do that?" Nessa asked, her eyes wide.

"The train leaves at eleven o'clock, whether you're on it or not," Jade said.

"So I'd suggest we get on it," Alexa said.

"I'll see you at school, Vic," Danny said, "I'm going to go take Nessa and introduce her to my friends from Slytherin on the ride up."

Victoire nodded slowly, "Alright."

He grinned, pecked her on the cheek, grabbed Nessa's hand, and jogged off down the platform, vanishing in the steam and crowds of people.

"Well, let's get on then," Molly said.

They all clambered onto the train and into the Head's carriage, which was just as spacious as it had been the year before.

"I'm sure the other Weasleys will show up at some point or another," Victoire said, "Until then… I'm going to get comfortable."

She removed her shoes and laid down on one of the seats. Alexa chuckled.

"You alright there, Vic?"

"I wouldn't blame her if she wasn't," Monica said, "That was just bizarre."

Victoire rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, I swear. Just a bit puzzled, is all."

"She's pretty," Chelsea said, sitting down across from Victoire after removing her shoes as well.

"It's the Spanish blood," Jade said. When everyone else looked at her, she shrugged, "What? It is."

"I should've told her to read _Hogwarts: A History,_" Molly said, sighing, "Oh well."

"Yeah, she could probably do with a bit of a crash course," Nick said, "It's not exactly a good idea to walk into Hogwarts unprepared."

"Well, I don't think she's unprepared, per say," Victoire said, "Clearly she knows magic, she's just not very familiar with the school's history or why things are the way they are."

"Which can be a problem when you're walking into a place that you've never been to where history is really, really important, and tradition taken very seriously," Alexa said, "I'm sure she'll figure it out, and she has Danny to help her."

"I wish him the best," Victoire said, closing her eyes, "I'm sure things will be fine."

Later on during the train ride, after the prefect meeting, when everyone else had gotten into a heated argument over Quidditch teams, Alexa settled down on the seat beside Victoire.

"You sure things are okay?" Alexa asked, eyeing Victoire curiously.

Victoire shrugged, "Yeah, why wouldn't they be?"

"Because this feels suspiciously like what happened with a certain best mate of mine and her boyfriend," Alexa said.

"Meaning?" Victoire asked.

Alexa sighed, "Okay, I won't go there. But still, it's a bit of a shock, isn't it?"

"Well, obviously," Victoire said, "But I trust him, everything is going to be fine."

"Are you just saying that, or do you believe it?" Alexa asked.

"I honestly don't have any clue, Lexa," Victoire said, "And I know that's bad, but…"

Alexa rolled her eyes, "Not necessarily. Well, I hope that whatever happens is what's best for you."

"I'm sure it will be, in the end," Victoire said, "And Nessa seems nice."

"Yeah, she does," Alexa said, "If you're sure."

"I'm as sure as I'm going to get," Victoire said, "Besides, I've got Teddy again. I'm okay."

Alexa raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

Victoire looked out the window at the countryside that was speeding past, and drew her knees to her chest before wrapping her arms loosely around them.

There was little to be said, if she was being honest with herself. Things were more complicated than she had let on with Alexa, and she let her mind wander to the few letters that were buried at the bottom of her trunk beneath all of her clothes and books, the letters she and Teddy had exchanged at the beginning of the summer. Those first few had been strained, tense, and things still weren't back to normal. Neither of them signed with 'love' anymore when they wrote, they were hesitant to bring up things that only concerned the other, and Victoire wasn't quite sure how she was feeling about everything.

Dom walked into the carriage a short while later, closely followed by Alannah and Marianne.

"Hey guys," Victoire said, nodding at her sister and the other two girls.

"Hi Vic," Alannah said, smiling.

"You going out for Quidditch this year?" Victoire asked.

The brown-haired girl nodded, "Yeah. I might actually stand a chance at getting a Chaser position now that Teddy's gone."

Victoire grinned, "I'm sure Lexa and I would love to have you."

Alexa's head shot up, "What?"

"Alannah's going out for Chaser," Victoire said.

Alexa smiled, "Yeah, you wouldn't be so bad to work with." Her smile faded, "Some of the people who've said they might try out…"

"Like who?" Victoire asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Leticia," Alexa said, shuddering.

"Why in Merlin's name would she try out?" Alannah asked, "She's not even good."

"I think she's hoping that no one else will, so that she'll have an excuse to be close to Liam," Alexa said, "She's not over him yet."

"That was never a serious thing though," Alannah said, her eyes wide, "He was just too nice to actually get rid of her, but he never did anything that should have made her think that he wanted it to go anywhere."

"It doesn't matter," Victoire said, "She's got a thing for him, and she's going to try to win him away from Lexa."

"He won't go," Alannah said, "He loves you, Alexa. Literally. He wouldn't shut up about you all summer, and when my mum asked him if he loved you, he turned bright red and wouldn't say anything. I technically wasn't supposed to tell you, but he'll deal."

Alexa grinned, "Really?"

Alannah nodded, "One hundred percent. He's nowhere near being interested in Leticia Brown, don't worry."

"Good," Alexa said.

Victoire smiled, "Well, looks like you're set for life, Lexa, but we knew that already, didn't we?"

Alexa rolled her eyes, "Oh, shut up."

They got to school about an hour after that, and headed up to school in the carriages. Victoire was only half paying attention throughout the Sorting Hat's song, and the words didn't register to her as she looked around the Great Hall at the rest of the school. Danny and Nessa were deep in conversation at the Slytherin table.

"What's she doing over there?" Alexa whispered, her gaze following Victoire's to the pair.

Victoire shrugged, "I mean, we are allowed to sit at the tables of other Houses now… She's not breaking any rules."

"Yeah, but it's tradition to sit at your house's table during the major feasts," Alexa said.

"Remember, she's not familiar with tradition?" Victoire said.

"I guess," Alexa said, "Still, that's not anywhere close to what she should be doing right now… Whatever."

They turned to face the front of the Great Hall as the sorting began. Victoire tuned out most of it, as usual, though she did clap politely every time someone was sorted, and especially loudly whenever that person was sorted into Gryffindor. She sat bolt upright about halfway through the Sorting at the sound of a familiar name.

"JORDAN, MAX," Professor Longbottom called.

Lee Jordan's youngest child hurried up to the platform and sat down on the stool. Neville lowered the hat onto his head, and it only sat there for a moment before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

There were a lot of cheers from the Weasleys at that, especially Fred and Roxy, and Max walked to the Gryffindor table with a wide smile on his face.

"Now we just have to wait for Louis," Molly muttered.

"He'll be in Gryffindor," Monica said, "The Weasleys always are."

"I hope," Victoire said, "I know it's what he wanted, he told us a couple of weeks ago."

"If it's what he wants, it's probably what he'll get," Jade said, "These things do tend to work out that way."

They watched nervously until Louis's name was called. Victoire's younger brother walked slowly and deliberately up to the stool, where he let Neville set the Sorting Hat on his head. It had barely touched his head when the rip at its brim opened. Victoire held her breath, waiting for the verdict.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Her shoulders relaxed and she let out her breath as the rest of the Weasleys and their friends began to cheer loudly. Louis had slumped slightly, relaxing, and he walked swiftly down to the Gryffindor table. Victoire hugged him tightly and he took a seat just down the table from where she was, where Max had settled by his sister.

"I told you," Jade said, looking at Victoire and Molly.

"Yeah, you did, and we should have listened to you, we know," Victoire said, "I'm just glad that he's happy, I know how much he wanted it."

"The Sorting Hat does take that into account," Molly said, shrugging, "Or at least, I know it did for me. It was thinking about Ravenclaw, but I really wanted Gryffindor, so it put me in here."

"The Weasley blood probably helps," Alexa said, laughing, "You're all Gryffindors, aren't you?"

Victoire nodded, "Hasn't been one in another house in living memory. That's part of the reason why Louis was so worried about getting into Gryffindor."

"That makes sense though," Monica said, "Family legacy can be everything for some people."

"I don't think any of us really care that much," Molly said, "It's not like we'd disown someone for being in a different house, it's not something that I would call necessary, but it's just one of those things that we all grow up wanting because it really makes us feel like we're part of the family."

"You all know you're part of the family though," Jade said.

Victoire laughed, "Yeah, but it sort of cements that yes, we're definitely Weasleys, because Gryffindor is the house of the Weasleys. It's just a nice way of really making it feel like it's serious."

"Like we've been saying, tradition is an important thing," Molly said, shrugging, "That's all it is, it's a tradition."

Alexa grinned, "Well, the Weasley tradition has been carried on."

"Now we just have to wait until next year," Victoire said, "It's certainly going to be interesting, isn't it?"

"Definitely," Alexa said.

The food came not long after that, and they ate slowly. Eventually, Victoire looked at Liam.

"So, what's the verdict for the year, boss?" she asked.

"Well," Liam said, "I wrote Madam Hooch and booked the pitch for next Friday, figured I'd take a leaf out of Sam's book and have really early tryouts, and then we've got the pitch every Tuesday and Thursday after that up until Christmas, but practice will get earlier as the year goes on, just because it gets dark so early."

"Makes sense," Victoire said, "So we need a new Chaser and a new Beater?"

Liam nodded, "Yeah. I'm going to make you guys try out again, but it's going to be for show only. I know you're the best flyers I'm going to get, I just need you lot to set an example for the younguns so that they'll know what they have to try for next year when Dom's captain, since we all know she's going to be the one to get it."

"So do you think that Lucy will take over for you when you're gone?" Alexa asked.

"Most likely," Liam said, "She knows how the team functions, since she trains with us sometimes, and the girl is good. Not as good as me, obviously, but she's good."

Victoire laughed, "She'll be glad to hear that, although I'm pretty sure that she's determined to be better than you are by the end of her time here."

Liam shrugged, "Hey, if she trains, she could easily have me beat by the time she's a seventh year. She's already pretty damn close, and she's in what, her fourth year now? Dom's going to have a hell of a good team after I'm gone, so long as we get good replacements for Teddy and Sam this year."

"Do you think your sister will make it on?" Alexa asked, "From what I saw over the summer, she's damn good, but I know you don't want to play favorites and there could be someone better."

"There could be," Liam said, "I don't know if there will be, though. Ana trained really hard this summer to make sure that she would be good enough to make it onto the team, and I know she's good. If there's someone better at tryouts, then they'll get on. I just don't know how much better it can get. Melissa let her tag along to a couple practices just like Dom did, so she's had exposure to some professionals. She knows what she's doing."

"I certainly hope so," Victoire said, "I just hope nobody complains too much about how the entire team is your friends."

"They really can't," Liam said, laughing, "Half of Gryffindor is made up of Weasleys or good friends of the Weasleys, and I love both groups of people, so it's not like it would be easy for me to find someone that I don't know fairly well at this point."

"He does have a point there," Alexa said, shrugging, "Merlin knows that there are enough of you, it's rather hard to avoid you all, actually."

"It happens," Victoire said, grinning, "But you're right, there are a lot of us, and we're really serious about Quidditch as a family, so it's only natural that there would be a lot of us who are reasonably good."

"Very true," Liam said, "Is Louis any good?"

Victoire shook her head, "I mean, he plays, but it's not really his thing like it is mine or Dom's, and even then it's not really mine. We all know how to play, it's just that some of us have more of a passion for it than others."

"So you're not upset that it'll probably be Dom who gets captaincy next year?" Liam asked.

"Not really," Victoire said, shaking her head again, "I mean, I have prefect duties, and hopefully I'll get Head Girl next year. I'll be busy enough trying to fit Quidditch practice in as a normal member of the team, I don't even want to think about what it would be like if I had to fit captain's duties in as well. Besides, Dom's way better than I am, she deserves it, and she needs it a lot more than I do. She wants to be a professional Quidditch player. I don't. She needs the exposure, so she should get it. It'll be good for her, and I trust her to lead our team. I know she can do it."

Liam nodded, "Understandable. She'll get an offer from a team, she's definitely good enough."

"I certainly hope so," Victoire said, "I know she really wants it."

An hour later found Victoire sitting on her bed in her dormitory, watching as her friends hung up posters and threw things at one another.

"You lot are completely ridiculous," Victoire said, shaking her head, "I don't understand it, sometimes."

Alexa laughed, "We're just having a bit of fun before the seriousness starts."

"It's going to be a hell of a year," Monica said, "Might as well stay relaxed while we still can."

"We'll be fine," Jade said, rolling her eyes, "But still, I enjoy being a bit stupid sometimes."

"More like quite regularly," Molly said, grinning cheekily at her friend, "Anyway, we start class tomorrow, we may as well enjoy ourselves."

Victoire grinned, "I guess you're right. Say, when do you think the first Hogsmeade weekend will be?"

Alexa shrugged, "No idea. Early October, probably. Why, do you want to write to Teddy or something?"

"Maybe," Victoire said, "Maybe not. You have no proof."

Jade rolled her eyes, "We have as much proof as we need, Victoire, there's no need to think that we won't have enough."

Monica chuckled, "Besides, we have to needle you about it a little bit. But then again, given what we've seen today, it might be good for you to have someone to run around Hogsmeade with besides us."

"Things are going to be fine, Mon," Victoire said, shaking her head, "Nessa's a friend of his, she's knew, and she needs someone to show her how things work around here. I'm not worried about it, I've told you lot that a million times."

"Still, it'll be good for you to have Teddy back," Molly said, "It'll be good for all of us. Sam too."

"I still don't know how he's doing it," Jade said, "His best mate's in Australia, his girlfriend's at school, he's off playing Quidditch all the time…"

"You just answered your own question," Alexa said, "He's off playing Quidditch all the time, that's how he deals with it. It distracts him and that makes things easier. Vic and Molly have their friends here to keep their minds off of things, Sam's got Quidditch, Teddy's got the Auror program to keep him busy… They've all got what they need to stay distracted well enough to make everything simpler."

"Besides, it's not like I'm not really used to it," Victoire said, "I didn't talk to Teddy for what, three months or so? I know that was a stupid thing to do and all, and I sort of wish I hadn't done it, but the point is, it happened, I know how to survive without him. It'd just be nice to see him, is all. We haven't seen each other in person since King's Cross at the beginning of the summer, and it would be good to talk to him instead of just having to send him letters all the time."

"You're probably right," Alexa said.

Victoire shrugged, "It happens."

"What do we have tomorrow morning?" Monica asked, falling backwards onto her bed.

"Uh…" Molly dug into her pocket and scanned her schedule, "Defense."

"Professor Valance is back now, isn't she?" Jade asked, "I know she was gone longer than she was supposed to be last year."

"Yeah, she's back," Molly said, "Apparently Professor McGonagall told her to take some personal time so that she could actually recover all the way. Dragon pox is a nasty thing."

"It really is," Victoire said, making a face, "Here's to Merlin that I never get it."

"Here's to none of us ever getting it," Alexa said.

"Hopefully they'll figure out a cure soon," Molly said, "They've been working like mad to find one."

"Really?" Monica asked.

Molly rolled her eyes, "Honestly, Mon, if you actually read the entire paper instead of just skimming the first few pages, you'd know these things. Yes, they are, they've been working on it for a few years, actually. You might get stuck on the project when you first get into St. Mungo's, they're trying to get as many people as possible involved because it's the only way for them to make a reasonable amount of progress, or at least, they seem to believe that."

"How's that going, anyway?" Jade asked, "I was following it for a while, but I got a bit behind over the summer."

"It's going pretty well, from what I last read," Molly said, "They think that they're getting a little closer, but that it could still be a few years before they have a real cure."

"Still, that's better than nothing," Victoire said.

"Definitely," Alexa said, "The closer they are, the better. It'd be a cool thing to work on, I think."

"I'm with you on that," Jade said, "It seems like it would be such a cool thing to be involved with."

"Probably because it is," Molly said, "Think you'd be able to survive it, Mon?"

Monica rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I do."

"I certainly hope so," Victoire said, "Otherwise, your dream of becoming a Healer might be out the window."

"I'll get through it if I have to," Monica said, "End of story. It's not that big of a deal, everyone has to do grunt work for a while. Besides, I'm sure it would be an interesting project. Anyway, you lot all have training ahead of you too. Lex, Vic, you've both got at least a year and a half of Auror training, and more than likely two years, it's not like you'll just be sitting around while I'm working my arse off."

"She does have a point," Molly said, "We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

Victoire groaned, "Can we please not talk about that now? I don't even want to think about it."

"Whatever you say," Molly said, grinning, "You'll have to think about it at some point though."

"Yes, but at some point doesn't have to mean now," Victoire said, "Besides, we have to get up early, so maybe we should go to bed?"

"I agree with that suggestion," Alexa said, covering a yawn.

They were all in their pajamas and settled under their blankets within fifteen minutes. Victoire extinguished the lights with a wave of her wand, and fell asleep not long after that.

* * *

**A/N: **

**I won't lie, this chapter's been done for a while, I've just been unbelievably busy.**

**Two weeks until finals, then three finals, then things will lighten up considerably commitment-wise, which means I'll have a lot more time to write.**

**In the meantime, I'm going to start Chapter Four now, but no promises for when it will be done and posted. I do think I'll try for a Saturday upload schedule once I get things sorted out and am capable of posting regularly (We'll see, with me off school I might even be able to post twice a week, but it'll depend on how much I've got going on).**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	4. Chapter 4

Quidditch trials came and went.

Sure enough, the remains of last year's team were chosen again, with Alannah taking the Chaser position, and a fifth year boy named Caiden taking the Beater position.

When Victoire had asked Dom what she thought of her year-mate, the younger girl had merely shrugged and muttered something unintelligible. Victoire didn't press the issue, and their first practice went smoothly. Alannah and Caiden found their place on the team rapidly, and soon enough, they were playing as though they'd been with the rest of the team for years. Sure enough, Liam had been right, and Alannah was an excellent Chaser. She picked up on the patterns that Victoire and Alexa had created with Teddy's help, and Liam was beyond thrilled with his younger sister.

Victoire's first patrol of the year came two weeks after tryouts, and the day began rainy and cold for mid-September.

"Why does the weather have to be the worst thing ever?" Molly asked, looking out the window, "This is disgusting."

"This is life," Jade said, pulling on a jumper, "Unfortunately, we have no control over it."

"Hopefully it'll stay dry on the way to Herbology," Victoire said, slipping her feet into her shoes, "I really don't feel like getting all wet today."

"Agreed," Monica said, "It's just not the day for it. Sometimes it is, but today is not that day."

Alexa rolled her eyes, "I swear, I don't know what to say about the lot of you half the time. You're really discussing whether or not today is the day to be rained on?"

"Apparently," Victoire said, shrugging, "Seeing as that's what we were just talking about."

"Don't question us," Jade said, "It's just how things work."

They headed down to breakfast not long after, and as Victoire was eating her cornflakes, Sterling dropped a letter on the table. Victoire picked it up and smiled at the familiar scrawl. Monica rolled her eyes.

"Teddy?"

Victoire's smile widened, "Yeah."

She tore the letter open and began to read.

_Tori,_

_Congrats on making it on as Chaser again (Even though I knew you would, you always do). It's good to hear that you've found a suitable replacement for me too. I was hoping Alannah would get the spot. Actually, to be honest, she and I were writing each other a lot over the summer because she wanted tips on how to work best with you lot, so I know she really wanted it. _

_I'm glad you're settling in well, and that you have a lot less animosity in your dormitory. I look forward to getting to know Jade better once I come back for good (Though I still don't know when that will be, unfortunately). I think you've got a really solid group of friends going for you (Though obviously, no one will ever live up to me, but we knew that already so there's not really any point in bringing that up. I just wanted to remind you). You'll have a good year this year, I think, and I really hope the lot of you win the Quidditch Cup again._

_As far as things go down here, Tatiana really wants to meet you, seeing as you come up a lot in conversation with any of us that know you. Everyone knows about Harry, and they think it's great that his niece is so enthusiastic about wanting to become an Auror, so they talk about you a lot. Everyone says it'll be good to have you once you're done with school (Provided you get the necessary N.E.W.T.s, of course). I know that it'll be good for me, anyway._

_I hope that your crazy cousins come up with some good pranks, seeing as Sam and I aren't there to instruct them in the ways of proper pranking. It's quite unfortunate, really, but there's not much to be done about it, so I suppose you'll just have to hope that they do it right. They're still following the information code, right? If they aren't, I pity all of you. Be careful, they've got the brain power to come up with a lot of absolutely mad things._

_So Danny has an old friend at school? That's interesting. I hope everything is still alright with the two of you, I know how those things can go. Regardless, I'm sure you'll be fine, you always are. He's a bit of an idiot if he's going to let that get in the way though. I still don't think anyone deserves you, let alone him, so if he does let it get in the way… Get rid of him. Immediately. You're too good for all of us. _

_Also, I found another charm for you, but I'm saving it, so you can just deal with the suspense until you get it. I'm sure you'll like it though, or at least, I hope you will. I think it's perfect for you._

_Miss you loads, and I hope I'll be home sooner rather than later. Life's just not the same without all of you around._

_-Teddy_

Victoire smiled again and folded the letter up, tucking it into her bag. Alexa glanced at her.

"Anything interesting, or same thing as usual?"

"Nothing new, really," Victoire said, "He bought me another charm, apparently, but he won't tell me what it is, because I need to suffer, or so he says. Also, Hogsmeade next weekend, right?"

Molly nodded, "Saturday, yeah."

"And then the day before Halloween," Alexa said, "Or at least, that's what Liam told me, so I'd assume it's right."

"They always like to make sure we get down there, don't they?" Jade asked, "It's awfully nice of them."

"I'll say," Victoire said, "Getting out of the grounds is always nice. Of course, we've got so much space that it's not like we're all cramped together twenty-four seven, but it's still nice to be able to go somewhere else."

"Plus, candy," Monica said, grinning, "Honeydukes is great."

"And visiting Uncle George," Molly said, "I swear, half the reason the man opened a Hogsmeade branch was so that he'd be able to get things to family members that are at school without having to mail them giant packages."

"You're probably right, actually," Victoire said, "It's a good strategic move on his part, if you ask me."

"He has to make sure that his legacy will live on," Molly said, "Of course, you and I haven't done the greatest job with it, but Sam and Teddy sure did."

"I'll admit, I'm a bit terrified to see what the kids come up with this year," Alexa said, shuddering, "Your entire family is so ridiculously crafty that it's definitely going to be something that's completely mental."

"They have to warn us, as we've said," Molly said, "Therefore, we'll know before everyone else does, and we'll be able to take the appropriate precautions."

"Also known as, we'll write Uncle George, ask him to send us some things to provide us with protection, and then we'll pretend we know absolutely nothing," Victoire said, grinning.

"I'm glad I know you," Jade said, her eyes wide.

"Everyone should be," Victoire said, inspecting her nails. She groaned when Monica elbowed her, "I was being sarcastic."

"Sure you were," Monica said, rolling her eyes.

As they were walking through the halls to Transfiguration a couple of hours later, they came across Nessa, Danny, and Seb. The former two were laughing hysterically at something, while Seb was leaning against the wall watching them, a resigned expression on his face.

"Hey, Danny, Seb, Nessa," Victoire said, pausing.

"Hey Vic," Danny said, grinning.

"Hi," Nessa said, a warm smile on her face.

Seb merely nodded politely. Victoire did the same. The Slytherin had never been very forthcoming when it came to words, though Victoire knew that he rarely shut up when he was talking to Danny. Regardless, he had never been anything but nice to her and her friends, and as such, she continued to treat him the way she would treat anyone that she didn't know well- with kindness and courtesy.

"What class do you have?" Danny asked.

"Transfiguration," Victoire said, "You?"

"We have a free period," Nessa said.

Victoire nodded slowly, "I see."

"Come on, Vic," Alexa said, "We'll be late if we don't hurry up."

"Alright," Victoire said, "See you tonight, Danny."

He barely responded, instead listening to something that Nessa was saying quietly. As Victoire walked away with her friends, she could hear another loud round of laughter come from behind her.

Jade looked at her, "You alright?"

"Fine, yeah," Victoire said, shrugging, "Now, did anyone else get extremely confused by the Transfiguration homework?"

"You really need Teddy around to help you with that, don't you?" Monica asked.

"He was just really good at explaining things in an extremely short amount of time," Victoire said, "That's all. He made everything loads easier for me."

"Well, looks like you'll have to learn how to learn on your own," Jade said, grinning, "You'll be fine, you know this stuff."

"I hope you're right," Victoire said.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Victoire could never decide which, mischief had been kept to a minimum for the most part. As a result, her prefect duties were rather limited during the day, which made things easier for her. Sure enough, it had been pouring down rain when they walked to Herbology, and when they were walking back to the castle afterward, which resulted in a lot of groaning from Monica. Well, it resulted in a lot of groaning from the general population of Hogwarts, but that was to be expected.

Victoire met Danny in front of the Great Hall that night just as she always had. He greeted her with a swift kiss on the cheek, and they started off through the corridors, checking cupboards and classrooms as they passed.

"How's Quidditch going?" Danny asked, opening a broom cupboard and checking inside with his lit wand.

Victoire shrugged, "Pretty good, our two new players are fitting in really well. Alannah can give pretty much all of us a run for our money, and Caiden and Dom seem to be making things work. I'm not quite sure if they like each other at all, but they're fine as teammates. Liam thinks that it's going to be a really good year this year."

"That's good," Danny said, "Nessa's trying out for the Ravenclaw team, she really wants the Seeker position."

"You mean Melinda's position?" Victoire asked, "She should go out for Chaser, I know they have a vacancy there, and there aren't many people who want to try out this year, from what I've heard."

Danny shook his head, "She really wants to be Seeker."

"Well, that's not how things work," Victoire said, "The likelihood of someone taking a position that's already filled is unbelievably low, and besides, Melinda's incredible. She's already been optioned by three different teams, she's not going to be easily replaced. And anyway, she's the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, she's not going to replace herself. They're not even having tryouts for Seeker, there's nothing that can be done about it."

"Nessa seems to think they are," Danny said, shrugging, "I told her to go for it, she's really good."

"Good for her, then," Victoire said. She fingered the charms on her bracelet, "I still say if she wants to play, she should go out for Chaser."

"I'll let her know," Danny said. His gaze fell to where Victoire's hand was, "What is that?"

"I've had this since last Christmas," Victoire said, "It was a present, it's a charm bracelet, that's all."

"From who?" Danny asked.

"Why does it matter?" Victoire asked.

"I just wanted to know, that's all," Danny said, "You don't have to be so defensive about it."

"I just don't understand why it matters or why it took you so long to notice that I had it," Victoire said, "I'm not trying to be defensive."

Danny fell silent as they continued down the corridor. When they had turned into the next one, he spoke, "Is everything okay? You seem really on edge."

"I don't know," Victoire said, her shoulders slumping as the urge to fight left her, "I have absolutely no idea."

When she brought the situation to Alexa over breakfast in a near empty Great Hall the next day, her best friend gazed at her in appraisal.

"You know what I think it is?" Alexa asked.

"What?" Victoire asked, her eyes widening.

"I think that you're uncomfortable with how close Danny is to Nessa, for one thing," Alexa said, "And I think you miss Teddy."

"Well, of course I miss Teddy, but I'm not uncomfortable with Nessa," Victoire said, "I swear."

"I think you are," Alexa said, "And I think that you don't want to admit it to yourself, and I think that part of the reason why you're uncomfortable with it is because Teddy isn't here and their relationship is almost exactly like what yours was."

Victoire's mouth dropped, "I don't- they're not- I-"

"It's fine, Vic," Alexa said, "You're allowed to miss him. You two have a lot of unfinished business to take care of."

"What do you mean?" Victoire asked, "Things are over between us. They have been. You know that."

"But are they actually?" Alexa asked, "I mean, honestly, there's a reason why there were so many bets about the two of you, and I'm willing to bet _you_ that if your entire family knew about you two, and your fight, they'd be betting on how long it's going to take for you to get back together."

"I'm dating Danny though," Victoire said, "And I'm happy with him."

"Vic, think about what you're saying," Alexa said, "It might do you some good to step back from the situation for a bit."

Victoire swallowed, looking down at her plate. When she looked up again, it was to see that Alexa was watching her, a concerned expression on her face.

"You're probably right," Victoire said.

Alexa gave her a sad half-smile, "It does happen."

Victoire took advantage of a lull in Charms class the period before lunch to write a letter to Teddy.

_Teddy,_

_I got in a bit of a fight with Danny yesterday. Or maybe I didn't, I'm not really sure what it was. Lexa was right, having Nessa around is stressing me out a lot. She's really nice and everything, but it's still difficult for me. Actually, that might make it more difficult, because it's so hard to dislike her when she's nice. I'm trying really hard to not be the jealous girlfriend, because I never wanted to be that person, but honestly… What I'm seeing here is exactly what happened with you and me, and I must say that I feel absolutely awful for Jake, because now I understand what he was going through with this whole thing. I think I'm going to break up with Danny, but I really don't know. It's looking like the most likely course of action right now._

_I'm not really sure why I'm telling you this, since you're not here, but you just seemed like the logical one to say everything to. I wish you were here, but that's asking a lot right now, and I know that._

_I just hope you come back soon._

_I'm glad that everything is still going well for you, and I know I miss you a lot. Things are still going really well for Sam and Molly, as far as I know, so that's good. Everything's just a bit strange with you both gone._

_There's not really a point to this letter, I just… Needed to write it. I miss you, like I said, and I can't wait until you come back. I really need to talk to you._

_Lots of love,_

_Victoire_

She swallowed, glancing at her sign-off, and then folded the letter up. Alexa glanced at her. Victoire shook her head.

"After Charms," she muttered.

Alexa nodded, still looking perturbed.

Sure enough, as soon as they had exited the classroom and the rest of their classmates headed off to lunch, Alexa dragged Victoire into an alcove.

"What is it?" the dark-haired girl demanded, crossing her arms and looking at her best friend.

"You're right and I hate it," Victoire said.

"Meaning what?" Alexa asked.

"I miss Teddy an amount that is honestly ridiculous, I can see this whole thing going exactly the way that my relationship with Jake did, and I can't find it in myself to hate Nessa because she's so damn nice," Victoire said, "What do I do, Lexa?"

"You'll hate me for saying this," Alexa said, sighing, "But I think you need to break up with him, or at the very least, talk to him, and I think you need to talk to Teddy, and I mean really talk to him, not just dance around the issue of what happened last year. It's the only way that you're going to be able to get yourself through this."

"But how in Merlin's name am I meant to talk to Teddy when he's in Australia?" Victoire asked, "I can't do that through letters, it won't work, I need to see his face or I'm going to lose it."

"You're already losing it, Vic," Alexa said, "But I understand what you mean."

Victoire swallowed, "Why me, Lexa?"

"Because you just want things to go properly," Alexa said, "And you're still conflicted about what you want from Teddy."

"I guess."

After she ate, Victoire mailed the letter that she had sitting in the pocket of her bag.

That afternoon, as she was walking back to her dormitory after classes, she heard someone calling her name, only to turn and see Nessa jogging towards her.

Victoire plastered a smile onto her face as the older girl reached her, "Hi, Nessa."

Nessa's smile faded, "Is everything alright, Victoire?"

Victoire sighed, "I don't know, honestly, and I don't know if you're the best person to tell, either."

"You never know," Nessa said, "I swear I won't saying a thing to anyone unless you want me to."

"I suppose," Victoire said, "But not here."

Nessa nodded, "There's an empty classroom up ahead, we can go there."

Once they were inside the room, with the door shut, Victoire began to speak.

"You might've heard from Danny that my best mate is two years older than me, and that he's currently in Australia doing a program to become an Auror."

"I thought Alexa was your best friend?" Nessa said.

"Well, she is, but I have another best mate," Victoire said, "I've known him basically since I was born, and his name is Teddy." She swallowed, "He and I have been close since then, and he knows me better than anyone in the world. Obviously, I miss him since he's in Australia, but things with us are really complicated right now."

"Why?" Nessa asked.

"We were together for almost two months last year," Victoire said, "And I mean, together-together. I broke up with him over something stupid and we didn't talk for a few months, but then we started writing each other over the summer and now I don't know what I want, and the situation with me and you and Danny doesn't really help matters."

"What do you mean?" Nessa asked, her brow furrowing.

Victoire laughed softly, "Before I dated Teddy, I went out with Jake for a few months. He broke up with me because he could tell that I liked Teddy and that Teddy liked me, even though I couldn't, and now I understand why."

"What does this have to do with me and Danny though?" Nessa asked.

"You're me and Teddy, that's what," Victoire said, "The boy loves you, and you're definitely lying if you try to tell me that you don't feel the same way about him, and also that you kind of hate me for dating him because it should be you who's with him."

Nessa's eyes widened, "I-"

"Don't feel bad about it," Victoire said, waving her hand, "I get it. I'm just trying to figure out how in Merlin's name I'm going to deal with this, especially since I can't exactly see Teddy to talk things out, and also because I haven't talked to Danny about this yet. I just want you to know that he's yours, and it's not fair of me to try and change that, nor do I want to. Just don't screw things up with him like I did with Teddy, because honestly… I regret it. A lot."

Nessa watched Victoire quietly, and when she spoke, her voice was filled with feeling. "Thank you."

Victoire shrugged, "It's not my place to mess things up for you two, and I'm not planning on staying in your way for much longer. I just need to figure out how to sort things out with Teddy when he's not even on the same continent as I am."

"I appreciate this," Nessa said, "I've been trying so hard to be nice, and I know it's stupid of me to dislike you for dating him, but…" Her voice became quiet, "I love him."

"I know," Victoire said, "Believe me. I know. Do you know where he is, or…"

Nessa shook her head, "Normally I'd say outside, but with the weather the way that it's been, I doubt it. You can probably catch him before dinner or something though."

"Alright," Victoire said, "Good luck with him, and honestly… I'm happy for you. He deserves someone who honestly does love him, and while I may like him a lot, I certainly don't have feelings that are that strong."

"You're a good friend," Nessa said, "Good luck with Teddy. Like my mum always told me, if it's meant to happen, it'll happen."

"I hope you're right," Victoire said. She nodded at Nessa, "I'll see you around, I guess."

She left the classroom without another word, and headed off to the Gryffindor common room. Alexa was sitting there with Liam. Victoire barely spared her friend and captain a glance as she grabbed Alexa's arm and dragged her up the stairs to their empty dormitory.

"What was that for?" Alexa asked.

"I'm breaking up with Danny before dinner," Victoire said.

"And this required dragging me up here why?" Alexa asked.

"Nessa's in love with him," Victoire said.

Alexa's mouth dropped, "Oh."

"Yeah," Victoire said, "Oh."

"So what are you going to do about things with Teddy then?" Alexa asked.

"Talk to him, I guess," Victoire said, sitting down on her bed, "I just wish that I hadn't been so stupid with him, you know?"

"I know," Alexa said, "I was just waiting to see how long it would take you to realize it."

"I wish he were here," Victoire said, "This would all be so much easier if I could just talk to him."

"Just focus on other things," Alexa said, "He'll be home before you know it, as long as you keep yourself distracted."

"That's a pretty big thing to keep myself distracted from," Victoire said, "Besides, you lot are all taken, I'll be the odd one out here."

Alexa rolled her eyes, "Like it's ever mattered before. Anyway, you're as good as, and we all know that, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Teddy will be back as soon as he can, you just need to be patient."

"But it's so difficult," Victoire said, "I should've just fixed things before he left."

"What would you have done?" Alexa asked, "It's not like Nessa was here. You didn't have anyone around to show you that things with Danny most likely wouldn't work out, and you would've felt absolutely horrible if you'd broken up with him just so that you could fix things with Teddy. Don't deny that, I know you too well. You also needed the time and the distance to let yourself understand that you do miss him and that you two are better when you're talking. Now you just have to wait for him to come home."

"I just hope it's sooner rather than later," Victoire said.

"I'm sure it'll be as soon as he can manage it," Alexa said, "It tends to be with him, especially where you're concerned. If you ask him to come home, he will."

"I kind of did," Victoire said, looking down at her hands, "I sent him a letter just after lunch. It was really incoherent and a bit of a ramble, but I told him that I was going to break up with Danny, and that I miss him, and that I need him to come home so that we can talk."

"Good," Alexa said, "He'll make it home for Christmas, I'm sure, and I know it'll be hard to wait that long, but you can do it. I know that you can do it."

"I hope you're right," Victoire said.

When they went back down to the common room a few minutes later, Liam raised his eyebrows, "Thanks for stealing my girlfriend, Vic."

Victoire shrugged, "I needed to talk to her, and best mates take priority over boyfriends."

"She's right," Alexa said, sitting back down beside Liam. She patted the empty cushion beside her, "Come on, Vic, sit down."

Victoire laughed and did as she was told. Liam looked at her, "Everything okay?"

"It is now, I think," Victoire said, "Or at least, it will be. Thank you for asking."

Liam grinned, "No problem." His expression became serious, "So, what do the two of you think of the team this year? I want your honest opinions."

"I think we're good," Victoire said, "Probably not as good as when Sam, Teddy, and Melissa were still here, but pretty darn close. Alannah's managed to fit really well with Lexa and me, so that's good, and Caiden seems to be doing alright, though I don't really know how Dom feels about him."

"They're playing well," Alexa said, "Or at least, they seem to be. Our first game will show us the truth, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

Liam shrugged, "It's a captain's job to make sure that the entire team is working well together. Plus, I want to win the Cup this year and I very well can't do that if my team isn't good, so I figured I'd ask you two, since I trust your opinions."

"That might not be the wisest decision you've ever made," Victoire said.

"I'll survive, I'm sure," Liam said.

"I'd be careful with how certain you are of that," Alexa said, "We can be a bit mental."

"I know that, I'm dating you," Liam said, making a face at her.

She rolled her eyes, "You're still missing a lot."

"Besides, who's to say that we really know that much about Quidditch?" Victoire asked, "If you want a seriously honest and informed opinion, talk to Dom. I'm sure she's got their stats figured out and everything, she's that serious about things."

Liam laughed, "You're probably right."

"It happens," Victoire said.

A few hours later, Victoire was standing beside the doors of the Great Hall, biting her lower lip nervously. When Danny came past, she caught his arm. He looked at her in confusion.

"Can we talk?" Victoire asked, "Somewhere that's private."

He looked at Seb, who was watching them curiously, and then back at Victoire, "Sure. Seb, go ahead without me, I'll be there soon."

Victoire led Danny down the corridor to another empty classroom. Once they were inside, she shut the door.

"What's this about?" he asked.

Victoire sighed, "I'm just going to be blunt with this… I'm breaking up with you."

Danny's eyes widened, "What?"

"Before you go thinking that I'm completely barmy, let me explain," Victoire said. She sat down on a desk and fixed her eyes on his, "Ever since Nessa showed up, the two of us have been growing apart, and I can't really blame either of you, because I was the same way with Teddy. It's not fair of me to stay between the two of you, not when you two have the opportunity to do things the right way."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Danny said.

Victoire rolled her eyes, "Yes you do, you're just in denial. I know you love Nessa, Danny, and I'm telling you now: Date her. This isn't about me, and I'm removing myself from the equation. Just date her. She'll say yes, and you know that you want to. I swear I'm fine with it. I have my own things to sort out now."

"Teddy?" Danny asked, "He gave you the bracelet, didn't he?"

Victoire nodded, "Yeah, he did. It was his mum's, before she… You know. I've been ignoring things with him, and honestly, I need to fix us. I miss him, a lot, and this whole thing isn't fair to me, or you, or Teddy, or Nessa, so we might as well just call it quits and go after what we really want. You're great, and you've been absolutely lovely, but I'm not Nessa, and you're not Teddy, and I don't think it's right for us to stay together."

Danny's shoulders relaxed, and he exhaled. A smile spread across his face, "Thanks, Vic. Friends, right?"

Victoire laughed, "Definitely friends. Now, you'd better take Nessa out to Hogsmeade next weekend, alright? Otherwise I'm going to lock you two in a broom cupboard together."

"Sure you would," Danny said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't test me, boy," Victoire said, grinning at him. They walked out of the room in step with one another, and she shook her head as they neared the doors to the Great Hall, "You know, I think we might make better friends than we ever did a couple."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Danny said, "See you around, and for patrol and everything."

"Definitely," Victoire said, "And you guys are one hundred percent welcome to hang around with us, no one will mind at all. Plus, it'd be a bit weird if you just disappeared completely."

"It would, yeah," Danny said. They joined the last vestiges of students who were entering the Great Hall, and they waved goodbye to each other before heading to their separate tables.

"So?" Alexa asked, when Victoire sat down.

"I'm single," Victoire said, shrugging.

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" Jade asked, her eyes widening.

"I broke up with Danny," Victoire said, "It's a long and complicated story, please don't ask me to tell it right now."

"We want to know eventually," Monica said.

"I expected that," Victoire said, "And I promise that you will, but right now, the point is, I'm unattached."

"And are you happy with that?" Molly asked.

Victoire looked at her cousin for a long moment before smiling, "You know what? I think I am."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry it took me so long to post, as I wrote in my author's note that will be deleted shortly, my laptop decided it was time to stop working, so I had to wait until I got all of my documents onto my desktop in order to post anything.**

**Now do you all understand how this is going to work out?**

**Originally I had planned to make the whole Nessa thing take forever, but then I was like "Uh nope never mind" and so this happened.**

**Yay!**

**I need to go study for finals, but I'll post again soon.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	5. Chapter 5

True to Victoire's word, she was fine.

Her relationship with Danny had only improved since their split, and he was proving to be one of the better friends that she'd ever had. When the first Hogsmeade visit finally rolled around, Victoire was all but jumping up and down with excitement.

Alexa tugged on her jacket and looked at Victoire, chuckling, "You alright over there, kid?"

Victoire grinned, "Totally fine."

"Good," Jade said, "Maybe you should be single more often, it seems to be good for you."

Victoire laughed, "I think it's just a matter of finding the right person to date, actually. But yeah, you're right. I'm really happy."

"We're strong women," Molly said, grinning mischievously, "No men are needed."

"Precisely," Victoire said, "After all, what kind of Weasley women would we be if that weren't true?"

"Not good ones," Monica said, "I swear, your family is full of the most strong-willed women I've ever met."

"I can't say that's a bad thing," Molly said, laughing, "But I'm with Vic, I'm really excited to go today."

"You're only excited because you get to see Sam for the first time in a few weeks," Victoire said, "I don't really know why I'm excited, I just am."

"That's good though," Alexa said, "It means that this is going to be fun for you because everything is going to seem fun."

"I hope you're right," Victoire said, "Regardless, I'm really looking forward to this, so can we please hurry up?"

Jade zipped up her coat, "Well, I'm ready, I don't know about the rest of you."

"We're all good," Molly said, looking around the room, "And Merlin, Vic, I'm just excited to be getting out of the castle for a while." She shouldered a rather large bag.

"And to see Sam," Alexa said, as they left the room and started down the stairs, "You know it's true, Molly, don't deny it."

Molly rolled her eyes, "Okay, fine, I'm excited to see Sam."

"So where are we going first?" Victoire asked, "And Molls, what's with the bag?"

"Well, Sam wrote me yesterday and said that we're all welcome to stop by his flat before we split up," Molly said, "He wants to show it to us, I guess. As for the bag, Vic, it's just a few things that I need for the day, that's all. I'm leaving it at Sam's, don't worry about it."

"I can't say I'm complaining about the fact that he wants to show us his place," Monica said, "I'm excited to see what the boy's done while he's living on his own."

"Is Ben going to come with us?" Victoire asked.

Monica shrugged, "I'm meeting him at the Three Broomsticks later on, once I'm done with you lot. I'm assuming that Liam will come, and Jake, and obviously Nick and Chelsea are going to show up."

"Well, I'd hope, he is their brother," Alexa said, "It'll be nice to see him though, I hope he'll make it up to the castle for some of our matches this year. We need to make him proud, considering the fact that he literally just left us and we have over half of our old team left."

"I'm sure he's proud of you lot," Jade said, "I mean, you've already got a full team and it's not even the end of September. Hufflepuff hasn't even had tryouts yet."

"We'll be ready for our first match, that's for sure," Victoire said.

"Gryffindor for life," Molly said, grinning.

They met Liam, Chelsea, Nick, and Jake in the entrance hall. Chelsea was all smiles as they approached the group of seventh years.

"Looking forward to seeing Sam, then?" Monica asked.

Chelsea nodded, "Yeah, a lot. I've missed the prat. He's a good brother, unlike this one over here."

She elbowed Nick, who winced, "Ouch, woman! Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Chelsea said, her smile widening, "But yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing him. It's weird, this is the first year since we were ten that he hasn't been around. I'm not used to it. Today's going to be great."

"Well, we'll see him in under an hour, so…" Nick trailed off, "It'll be good to see him though."

"And I need to talk strategy with him," Liam said, "As well as ask him how things are going with Puddlemere."

"His first match is coming up, isn't it?" Jake asked.

Molly nodded, "In two weeks."

"That's really exciting," Jake said, "His first professional Quidditch game."

"He'll do great," Victoire said, "He always does."

"Let's just hope he doesn't break anything," Liam said, "Being a Beater is a dangerous job."

"Not as dangerous as Seeker," Alexa said, fixing her eyes on him, "Remember, Seekers sustain more injuries on average than any other position on a Quidditch team."

"I know," Liam said, "But still, they'll be sending Bludgers his way, and they're not somewhat weak Hogwarts students, they're professionals who've been playing this game a lot longer than he has."

"Not that much longer," Jade said, "Most people don't last beyond thirty, they're too beat up to stay."

"He'll be there longer," Molly said, "He's good. But yeah, they do have twelve or thirteen years' experience on him, which could be a bit of a disadvantage for him."

"He'll handle it," Monica said, "He always does."

"I agree with Monica," Victoire said, "Sam's insane, but he's good. There's no denying that. He wouldn't have been signed to Puddlemere immediately after leaving school if he wasn't."

"Exactly," Jade said.

They started off to Hogsmeade not long after that. Chelsea walked with Victoire, who couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face at the sight of Danny and Nessa ahead of them. The pair were holding hands as they walked, Danny's head bent towards Nessa as she told him something.

"So, you two are done for good, then?" Chelsea asked.

Victoire shrugged, "Yeah, we are."

"Your decision?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, it was," Victoire said, "I could tell that she wanted to be with him, and he wanted to be with her, and look how happy they are now. I'm really glad for them, honestly, and I'm not just saying that."

"I can tell," Chelsea said, smiling, "I'm glad for them, and for you. You'll figure things out, I know you will. You always do."

"I hope that you're right," Victoire said, "It would be a bit unfortunate if you weren't."

They reached Sam's flat a little while later. It was located on the ground floor of a house that was just around the corner from the Three Broomsticks. Molly knocked on the door, and it opened a moment later.

Sam grinned and hugged her, picking her up as he did. He kissed her and set her down, and then beckoned to everyone else, "Come on in, guys."

They entered the flat. Sam led them down the hall to the eat-in kitchen. Victoire looked around.

"So, is this house owned by the people who live above you, or…" she trailed off.

Sam shook his head, "The whole thing is flats, actually. The owners live in a cottage a ways away, they don't really like to be in the village that often. Anyone want anything to drink?" After butterbeer had been passed out, Sam looked at Victoire, "There's something in the living room that I think you'll like. It's back towards the front door, the doorway will be the last one on your right."

Victoire looked at him curiously and stood, "Okay…"

She went into the main hallway, pulling the door to the kitchen shut behind her, and walked until she reached the door he had spoken of. She opened it and walked into the living room, shutting it behind her.

"Sam, I don't-" she called, turning back towards the door, only to fall silent at the sight of a familiar figure sitting on the couch that sat beside it, "TEDDY?"

The turquoise-haired boy grinned and stood up, "Give me a hug."

She launched herself at him. He picked her up and spun her around. She knotted her fingers in his hair and buried her face in the joint of his neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. He set her down a few moments later. Her hands slid down to his neck, and she looked at him intently.

"You said you didn't know when you'd be home!"

He laughed, "I know that. Harry found out when the first Hogsmeade weekend was, and managed to figure things out so that I would have to bring a report to him. He got me a couple of extra days off so that I'd be here to see you."

"Remind me to thank that man a million times," Victoire said, her eyes fixed on Teddy's hazel ones, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you'd be here!"

He shrugged, "I wanted to surprise you."

"Did anyone else know?" Victoire asked.

Teddy grinned, "Basically everyone except for you, actually."

Victoire's mouth dropped, "You prat!"

"Like I said, I wanted to surprise you," he said, "Are you completely angry with me, or was this a good surprise?"

"Of course I'm not angry with you," Victoire said, "I just can't believe you're here."

He pulled her to him again, hugging her tightly and lowering his mouth to her ear, "Well, I am, and you'd better."

They stood there like that for a while, his lips against her hair, her head resting on his shoulder. His hands were rubbing her back soothingly, and she had one hand on the back of his neck and the other knotted in his hair. They only split apart when the door opened.

Sam stuck his head in, "We're heading out, you two can feel free to stay here as long as you want. I'm glad you haven't killed each other."

With that, he pulled the door shut. Victoire and Teddy looked at each other for a long moment before laughing loudly. They moved to the couch, Victoire settling herself so that she could see Teddy's face. He was watching her intently, his eyes searching hers.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"I just want to make sure that you're okay," Teddy said, "How are things with Danny?"

Victoire shook her head, "That's over and done with. He's actually in Hogsmeade with the girl I told you about right now. I gave them the go-ahead, I'm totally fine with it." She smiled, "I'm really glad that you're here."

"I'm glad that I'm here too," Teddy said, "I'm glad you're okay, I was a bit worried."

"You didn't need to be," Victoire said, "I just… Needed to see you."

"You said in your letter that you wanted to talk," Teddy said, "What about?"

"Can we wait until later for that?" Victoire asked, "I'm just trying to get my mind around the fact that you're here."

He drew her against him, his embrace warm and comforting, "I swear that I'm not going anywhere today, alright? At least, not anywhere that you don't want me to go."

She let her head rest against his shoulder, and her eyes closed as she spoke, "Good."

She woke up just over an hour later. Teddy's lips were pressed to her hair, and he seemed to be dozing. She looked up at him, and he blinked slowly before smiling down at her, "Tired, Tori?"

"A bit, yeah," Victoire said, yawning, "Thanks for letting me sleep on you."

"Anytime," Teddy said, "Do you want to go get something to eat? We can also raid Sam's kitchen."

"Let's raid the kitchen," Victoire said, "I really don't want to go out."

Teddy laughed, "Sounds good to me."

They rummaged around the kitchen for a while, and eventually managed to make themselves some sandwiches. Victoire ate hers happily, her gaze repeatedly returning to Teddy's face, and they retreated to the living room again once they were finished.

"Can we talk now, or…" Teddy trailed off.

Victoire bit her lip and sighed, "As long as you understand that I honestly have no idea where this is going or how to say anything, then yeah, we can talk."

"We can make sense of whatever it is together," Teddy said, "Honest."

Victoire nodded, swallowing, "Alright."

"So, what is it?" Teddy asked.

"I already told you that I missed you," Victoire said, looking down at her hands.

"I know, I missed you too," Teddy said.

"No, Teddy, you don't understand," Victoire said, looking up and locking gazes with him, "I _missed you."_

"Oh," Teddy said, his eyes widening in understanding.

"Oh?" Victoire asked, "I tell you that, and you say _oh_?"

"I just wasn't expecting it, that's all," Teddy said.

Victoire stood up and began to pace back and forth, "So now what do we do? I thought that maybe, we might be able to-"

Teddy stood up and stepped into her path. Before she could get another word in, his mouth found hers.

All the fight left her, and she all but hung in his grip. A few moments passed, and she straightening, knotting her fingers in his hair as she pressed herself against him. He caressed her lips with his before kissing along her jaw and then back to her mouth. When he finally released her, all she could do was watch him, a small smile on her face.

He tangled his fingers in her hair, his eyes fixed on hers, "I love you, alright?"

She nodded, the smile still on her face.

He chuckled, only to gaze at her seriously a moment later, "What do we do now? Like it or not, I go back to Australia on Monday afternoon, and chances are, I won't be back until Christmas. I can't very well date you if I'm there, I'd feel terrible, but I don't want to just leave you hanging either."

Victoire pressed a kiss to the pulse point of his neck before kissing all the way up to his mouth. When she pulled away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed, "I don't know. We still need to talk about what happened… Before. I know we apologized and whatnot, but I can't help feeling like I was a complete idiot and that if I hadn't done it, you wouldn't have felt like leaving."

Teddy pulled her with him to the couch. He sat down and tugged her into his lap before wrapping his arms around her again, "You were pretty dumb, yeah, but so was I, and I honestly can't say that I wouldn't have gone if we hadn't had our fight. It's such an important part of becoming an Auror now. It would've been hard, definitely, and it still was, but I probably would have done it anyway."

Victoire nodded slowly, "I guess. I just… Don't know how we're going to do this."

Teddy sighed, "Let's just say this. I love you, I'll come back to you when I'm done, and we'll be together for real then."

"So what are we, then?" Victoire asked.

"That depends," Teddy said.

"On what?" Victoire asked.

"How you feel about me," Teddy said.

She buried her face in his neck, and when she spoke, her voice was a whisper, "I love you."

She could feel him smile, "Well then, what we are… We're two people who love each other, and who want to be together. That's a bit more real than just slapping the labels 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' on us, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she whispered, closing her eyes.

He twined his fingers with hers, "I missed you a lot, love."

"I missed you too," she said, "I wish I wouldn't have to go back to the castle tonight, I don't want to leave you."

"About that," Teddy said, "I wrote Professor McGonagall, and after conferring with Neville, they came to the conclusion that you don't need to be back at the castle until tomorrow evening, on the condition that you understand that if you don't have your work done on Monday, they won't think about letting you do this again. Sam's totally fine with us staying here, this is a two-bedroom flat."

Victoire smiled, brushing her nose along his jaw, "You've really thought this whole thing through, haven't you?"

"Well, I'm not going to have a chance to see you again for a while, so I've tried my best," Teddy said, "I must say, I didn't know if it would even be necessary, but I wanted to make sure that I took the appropriate precautions."

"I'm glad you did," Victoire said.

They stayed there on the couch, wrapped up in one another, for an unknown amount of time. The door opened eventually, and the entire rest of their bunch trouped into the living room, minus Nick and Chelsea.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two made up," Alexa said, sitting down on the couch opposite them.

Victoire shrugged, her eyes still closed, "It was what we needed to do, so we did it."

"Good," Sam said, "This prat wouldn't shut up about you. Every letter he sent me was 'Victoire this' and 'Victoire that.' The boy was going a bit mad, honestly."

"Where are Nick and Chelsea?" Teddy asked.

"They're coming a bit later," Sam said, "They're going to stay for dinner with Molly. Vic, are you staying, or…"

"She's staying," Teddy said, dropping a kiss on her hair.

"The whole time?" Sam asked.

Victoire could feel Teddy nod, and she couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face. She opened her eyes to see Alexa watching her knowingly. The dark-haired girl winked, a broad grin on her face. Victoire rolled her eyes and hid her face against Teddy's neck.

"Teddy, you remember Jade," Molly said.

Teddy nodded, "I do."

Jade laughed, "I promise I'm not crazy, it's just… Being friends with Ruby does things to you."

Teddy's chest vibrated as he chuckled, "I can imagine. I'd shake your hand, but I'm not currently in a position to move."

"I can see that," Jade said, "It's alright, it's the thought that counts."

"Sure it is," Monica said, "Now, I believe that you owe me a Galleon, Jade."

"Me too," Alexa said.

Victoire's eyes shot open as she sat bolt-upright, "You _bet_ on us? _Again_?"

"Well, someone had to," Monica said, grinning, "And yeah, we did. She bet it would be Christmas, just because she thought he wouldn't be back before then. I bet that he would, therefore, I win."

"I can't believe you lot," Victoire said, rolling her eyes.

Sam grinned, "I can."

"You didn't bet, did you?" Victoire asked.

Sam shook his head, "Yeah right, I knew you would kill me."

"Smart boy," Victoire said.

Teddy began to run his fingers through her hair as he spoke, "I can't really blame them, they're all just trying to find a way to make their lives interesting. Besides, did you honestly think you were done with me?"

"For a little while there, I did, yeah," Victoire said, "For the last few months, though? Not really."

"Exactly," Teddy said, "Besides, this lot knows us better than pretty much the rest of the world, it's not surprising that they would know we'd end up like this again."

"I suppose," Victoire said.

Teddy pressed a kiss to her forehead, "They don't mean any harm by it."

Jake was watching them with wide eyes, "Yeah, I definitely made a good choice breaking up with Vic so that you two could be together."

Victoire made a face, "Well, it's taken us a while to get to this point."

"But you're better for it, wouldn't you agree?" Alexa asked.

"Yeah," Victoire said.

"Just one thing, guys," Teddy said. The entire group looked at him curiously. He gave them a half-smile, "Don't say anything about this to anyone, I don't think we want people to know about it. I'll be safe down in Australia, but I don't want Tori to be hounded by a million and one people who want to know what's going on with us."

"Understandable," Liam said, "I don't even want to think about what things will be like for Lex next year, once I'm not around anymore."

"I'll just have to deal with the fact that you're going to have a ton of girls lusting after you, that's all," Alexa said, shrugging.

"You say that with such ease," Monica said, shaking her head, "I don't understand."

"I don't think he's going anywhere, that's all," Alexa said, "And I trust him completely."

"I'm flattered," Liam said.

Alexa grinned, "Well, you've never given me a reason to think otherwise, so I'm not going to."

They continued to talk for a while, taking comfort in the fact that they were all there together for the first time in over six months. Everyone except Molly left eventually, and Nick and Chelsea arrived not long after that.

"So you two are okay then?" Chelsea asked, as soon as she walked into the living room.

"You knew he was coming," Victoire said, looking at her friend.

Chelsea shrugged, "I did, yeah."

"You couldn't have said anything?" Victoire asked.

"I was under oath," Chelsea said, "And you have to admit, it was a really nice surprise."

"It was, yeah, but I still can't believe you didn't even give me a little bit of a hint," Victoire said.

"Don't deny the girl her fun," Molly said, grinning, "Actually, don't deny any of us our fun. This was a really enjoyable experience, I think we'll have to repeat it at some point."

"I swear to Merlin, if you do this to me again, you'll regret it," Victoire said.

"She never said that we would do it to you," Nick said, chuckling, "Only that we should do it again. We have a number of options, and we'll have more next year. It doesn't have to be you, and anyway, I'd imagine that it's going to be hard to do it to you now that you and Teddy are going to be talking as much as humanly possible.'

"I certainly hope so," Victoire said, leaning her head against Teddy's shoulder, "Otherwise, you're all going to be dead."

"Well, seeing as we don't want to be, we'll try not to do it to you again," Chelsea said.

They had dinner a short while later, crammed around the table in Sam's kitchen. As Victoire looked around at her friends, she was struck with the realization that this was what she wanted- years and years with people that made her laugh until her stomach hurt.

"You look confused," Nick said, glancing at her.

Victoire shook her head, "Not confused. I just had a realization."

"Which was?" Chelsea asked.

"I've got some damn good friends," Victoire said. She exchanged glances with Teddy, and flushed when he winked at her.

"We're flattered," Sam said, smiling, "But really, you're right, we've got a good bunch here."

"I don't think any of us are planning on going anywhere," Molly said, "The rest of our lot included. We've built ourselves a group of people that honestly cares about each other, and that's not something that any of us are going to give up easily, if you ask me. We'll be together long after Hogwarts is behind us."

"I know," Victoire said, "And we'll continue to annoy each other for the rest of our lives."

Teddy chuckled, "Well, someone has to do it, so it may as well be us."

Nick grinned, "Besides, there aren't many people that you can annoy repeatedly without needing to worry about serious harm coming to you. I don't think any sane person would ever pass up the opportunity that we have."

"I'm with Nick on this one," Sam said.

"There have been a lot of good twists of fate, haven't there?" Victoire asked.

"Definitely," Chelsea said, "And a few bad ones, but the overall results have been good."

"Imagine what life would be like if these two idiots hadn't met on the platform before their first year," Molly said, gesturing between Sam and Teddy, "We might not be friends at all."

"We probably would be," Sam said, "I doubt we'd be as close though. Teddy and Vic would still have gone out for Quidditch, regardless of whether we were friends or not."

"Still, there's a magic to going through the experiences of being first years together," Teddy said, "Things wouldn't be the same if we hadn't done them with each other."

"True," Sam said, "Good thing we did then, huh?"

"I'll say," Teddy said.

Molly, Chelsea, and Nick left a short while later. Before they did, Molly pulled Victoire aside, "The bag that I had earlier is for you. It's in the guest room where Teddy's staying. I tossed some of your clothes and a pair of pajamas in for you, as well as your toothbrush. It was a just-in-case, but it's here."

Victoire hugged her cousin, who laughed and hugged her back, "Thanks a million, Molls."

"Anytime, Vic," Molly said, "I'm really happy for you, honestly."

Victoire smiled, "I'm happy for me too. See you tomorrow evening."

"Will do," Molly said, grinning.

Victoire waved goodbye as her cousin left, and then headed into the living room, where Sam and Teddy had gone.

"Thanks for letting me stay here tonight, Sam," Victoire said, taking a seat beside Teddy.

Sam shrugged, "It's not a problem, Vic."

"Still, it means a lot," Victoire said.

Teddy wrapped his arm around her and sighed, "I'm just glad everything worked out."

"I think it's safe to say that we both are," Victoire said.

They went to bed just past eleven o'clock that night. In the bathroom, Victoire changed into the pajamas Molly had brought her- a pair of shorts and one of Teddy's old jumpers- and returned to the bedroom, where Teddy was already under the blankets. His bare shoulders were visible above the comforter, and she sighed happily as she got under the covers.

He drew her against him and, with a wave of his wand, turned out the lights. As they were lying there in the darkness, Teddy began to run his fingers through her hair. He sighed.

"What is it?" Victoire asked.

"I honestly didn't know if this was going to happen again," Teddy said, "If we were, I mean. For a long time there, I really thought that you honestly hated me."

"I did, for a bit," Victoire said, "I just… Wasn't thinking clearly. I never wanted it to end up like that, but I was feeling insecure, and my insecurity made its way into my head and convinced me that you weren't thinking about my feelings. I know that you were, I just couldn't see it."

"I felt like you were ashamed of me," Teddy said, "I felt like that's why you didn't want to tell anybody."

Victoire sat up, the blankets falling around her. She could barely see his face in the darkness, "How in Merlin's name could you ever think I would be ashamed of you?"

He sat up as well, "I don't know, I was being stupid. I just felt like, I don't have parents, just my grandmother, and you have this big family, and maybe it bothered you that you wouldn't have in-laws, and-"

Victoire cut him off, "My family is your family, Teddy, we've been over this."

"I know," he said, "But I forget that sometimes. Like I said, I was being stupid."

"I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want our family to have to deal with things if we broke up," Victoire said, "That's all. Also because that way, I wouldn't have to deal with all of the girls who are completely obsessed with you, who would likely have tried to kill me or at the very least incapacitate me."

"They wouldn't have tried to kill you," he said.

"Point is, they wouldn't have been very happy about us," Victoire said, "I wish everyone knew, it would just make things so complicated, and honestly, I don't need anyone else to know. I don't need anyone else's approval to feel validated in our relationship, whatever it is. I know what we are, and that's all that matters."

Teddy laid back down, "I know." He pulled her back down beside him, "The point is, I love you, and we don't have to tell anyone until we're ready to."

"I wish you didn't have to go," Victoire said, after a few minutes of silence.

"I wish I could stay too," he said, "But I have to go if I want to be an Auror, and I'll be back at Christmas, and we can still write one another like we have been. It'll be hard, I know that, but I also know that we can do it."

"We can," Victoire said, sliding closer to him, "And we will. Promise me you'll move somewhere close once you're back, if you're back for good before I'm done with school."

"I'll definitely be back for good before the end of your seventh year, and likely before the end of this one," Teddy said, "And I'll do my best, I know that I want you to be able to come and see me without us having to be in Sam's flat in order to do it."

"Good," Victoire said.

"Wherever it is, it'll be ours," Teddy said, "No matter where it is, or whether you're still at school or not, it'll be ours. Not mine. Ours."

Victoire smiled, "That sounds wonderful, having something that's definitely ours."

"It'll never be anything but," Teddy said, "What's mine is yours, love."

"And the same goes for you," Victoire said, "Including my family, alright? You're one of us, whether you like it or not."

"I definitely like it," Teddy said.

"See," Victoire said, "You do have a family, and they love you. _I _love you. Never doubt that, please."

"I won't," Teddy said, "Or at least, I'll try my best not to."

Victoire nodded, "That's all I can ask of you."

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her so that her head rested on his chest and their legs tangled together, "I think it's time for us to sleep."

She yawned, "Alright. I love you."

She could feel him smile, "I love you too."

Her last thought before she fell asleep was how nice that sounded.

* * *

**A/N: **

**D'AWWWWWWWWWW.**

**See, I told you it would turn out okay in the end!**

**(And no, this isn't the end, but it did turn out okay).**

**I'm nearly done with school, I have a college counseling workshop, exam review, and Prize Day tomorrow, which involves formal dress, which is gross (A blazer, button down, and khaki pants/skirt are awful when it's ninety degrees out (Fahrenheit)), and then I have commencement on Friday, and a number of my close friends will be graduating, which makes me sad, but then I'll be done and that will be it for the hell that is junior year. I finished all of my standardized testing for college on Saturday, and our prom was yesterday, so I'm really just coasting along at this point.**

**Also, no more Organic Chemistry. For the rest of my life.**

**I am so freaking happy about that.**

**I'm going to go work on the next chapter of this and then the two other stories that I'm writing which are not fanfiction and are over on Wattpad (my username on there is acreatureofhope if you want to venture into those), and then I should probably go to bed since I do need to be up tomorrow so I can drive myself to school.**

**Also, I am re-experiencing my intense love for all things Tamora Pierce (especially Daine and Numair) and if you haven't read her books, I highly recommend them. Start with The Song of the Lioness quartet if you do, or things won't really make sense.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	6. Chapter 6

When Victoire woke up, she stretched, yawning, only to smile at the thought of her dream.

"That was nice," she murmured, yawning again.

"What was?"

She froze, "Wait, that actually happened?"

"Of course it did," Teddy said, slipping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek, "Good morning, love."

"Morning," she murmured, rolling over to face him, "I thought I dreamt what happened yesterday."

Teddy chuckled, "No, you didn't. All of it happened, including the fact that I have to leave tomorrow morning to go back to Australia."

Victoire made a face, "I wish you didn't."

"It's what I have to do to become an Auror," Teddy said, shrugging, "You'll be fine, Tori, you always are."

"Whether or not I'll be fine is irrelevant," Victoire said, moving closer to him, "It's about whether or not I want you to be gone, that's all."

"You know I'd stay here if I could," he said, "But I want to be an Auror, a good one, and that means I need to stay in Australia until they tell me that I've been sufficiently trained and can come back here. I'm working really hard, I hope they'll send me back earlier than everyone else, but it depends on my performance and how everyone else is doing."

"I know," Victoire said, "Still doesn't change how I feel, though."

"It doesn't have to," Teddy said, his eyes locked on hers, "I just want you to understand that I'm doing this because I have to."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm well aware, Teddy."

He smiled, "I'd forgotten how absurd you find me. It's good I'm back, I need you to keep me humble."

She laughed at that, "I don't think anyone can do that, unfortunately. We try, but there's only so much that we can do."

"You're ridiculous," he said, "Shall we get up and get some breakfast?"

"Sure," Victoire said, "Let me brush my teeth first, please."

"If you want, we can go to the Three Broomsticks and get something there," Teddy said, "We were in all of yesterday, and I don't want to deprive you of your Hogsmeade visit just because I'm here. There's no reason for us to stay holed up in here all day."

She stretched again, "That sounds lovely."

They took turns in the bathroom, and as Victoire finished putting on her jumper, Teddy pulled her toward him and kissed her gently. She let him, smiling, and continued to watch him when he let her go.

"What?" he asked, looking at her as he pulled on his shoes.

"I forgot how nice it was to have you around," Victoire said, her smile widening, "It's quite lovely, if I do say so myself."

"I agree," he said, smiling softly at her.

They passed by the kitchen on their way out of the flat. Sam sat at the table with _The Daily Prophet_ open in front of him.

"Finally decided to wake up, did you?" he said.

"Sam, it's nine o'clock," Victoire said, raising her eyebrows, "It's really not that late."

"I've been up since six," he said, "As far as I'm concerned, it is."

"And why have you been up for so long?" Victoire asked.

"I have a strict training schedule that involves a morning run," Sam said, "I have to be up at six every day."

"And there is our answer," Teddy said, "You do realize you could wake up two hours later and still be done by lunch, right?"

"But that's just not efficient," Sam said.

Victoire grinned, shaking her head, "You overcomplicate things so much. We're going to get some breakfast, if you want to come."

"No thanks," Sam said, "For one thing, I already ate, and for another, I'd rather not be around you two while you're still being absurdly cute with one another, it makes me want to throw up a little bit."

Teddy rolled his eyes, "Sure, mate. Sure. Shall we, Tori?"

"Sounds good," Victoire said, "See you later, Sam."

Sam waved his hand at them, turning his gaze back to the paper. They chuckled and left the flat, emerging onto the quiet Hogsmeade street.

"I still feel like I'm dreaming," Victoire said as they approached the Three Broomsticks.

"Hopefully that will go away soon," Teddy said, smiling, "I'd like you to remember this as a reality, it would be quite unfortunate if I came back to discover that you'd forgotten that I said I love you."

"Dream or not, I don't think I could forget that," Victoire said, lacing her fingers through his, "No matter what happens, I don't think I'll ever forget that."

His smile widened, "I certainly hope that's true."

They entered the Three Broomsticks to find it nearly empty. Madam Rosemerta looked up from where she was cleaning the bar.

"Teddy," she said, smiling, "And Victoire, what are you doing here? I thought the Hogsmeade visit was yesterday."

"It was," Victoire said, "This one got permission for me to be down here today since he was in Australia all summer and we haven't seen one another. Professor McGonagall trusts me."

Madam Rosemerta laughed, "I'm glad. What can I get for you?"

Once they had ordered and gotten their food, they retreated to a corner booth that was out of the view of the majority of the restaurant.

"How am I going to make it through the rest of the year now?" Victoire asked, "I'm just going to miss you for the rest of it."

"We'll write," Teddy said, "We'll write, and I'll come back when I can, and maybe you can come down and visit me."

"Maybe," Victoire said, sighing, "We really like to put ourselves into complicated situations, don't we?"

"I'll say," Teddy said. After a moment's pause, he spoke again, "So, how's Quidditch going? Sam's been trying to keep me updated, but I'd rather hear it from you."

"It's going pretty well, actually," Victoire said, "Alannah's fitting in really well with us, so Alexa and I haven't had too much training to do as far as your replacement goes. I'm not really sure how Dom feels about Caiden, but I'm sure if anything happens, she'll tell us all about it."

"It's her way," Teddy said, chuckling, "That's good though. Do you know who you're playing first?"

Victoire shook her head, "It's either Ravenclaw or Slytherin, but we won't find out for a couple more weeks. Ravenclaw still needs to find a Chaser, and they won't post the match list until all of the teams are filled."

"They're really leaving it until the last minute, aren't they?" Teddy asked, "Two weeks isn't much time to train a new team member, especially if you're potentially playing against a team that has most of the same members that has also been practicing with its new members for what will be two months. You lot have a real advantage there."

"I'd guess that's why Liam is doing things the way that he is," Victoire said, "It's going to be a good year for us, I think. I hope. Liam needs it to be, and I think we all want to send our seventh-years off with a great memory of their final season as Gryffindors. Plus, it would be kind of unfortunate if we couldn't match last year, success-wise."

Teddy smiled, "But no one would think any less of you as a team if you didn't. Don't worry about it though. Keep training, work hard, have fun, it'll come together in the end. It's the only good way to do it."

"I completely agree," Victoire said.

Once they finished eating, they elected to take a walk around the village before heading back to Sam's flat.

As they approached the Shrieking Shack, Teddy grew quieter. They leaned up against the fence in silence, staring at it. The old house was in stark contrast to the sky behind it, and its silence said more to Victoire than any of the rumours ever did.

"It's strange, you know," Teddy murmured, "I spent all of those years in Hogwarts, walking the same halls as he did, sleeping in the same dormitory, but the closest that I ever feel to him is when I'm standing right here, because this is the place where he suffered the most. Even in the end, even when he was with my mum, even though he died with her, this was where he had the most suffering. He thought his friends wouldn't like him anymore if they knew, that everyone would think he was a monster, but he was wrong. He was wrong."

Victoire reached out and took Teddy's hand, "He was, and you know why he was? He was wrong because he didn't understand that there was more to him than the fact that he was a werewolf. He didn't see that his brilliance and his kindness far outmatched that, or that his friends would always believe the best in him, and that was where his problem lay. He didn't have enough faith in himself, like someone else that I know."

Teddy wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him, "I'm really lucky to have you, you know."

"I know," Victoire said, smiling, "Just like I know they're almost absurdly proud of you, your accomplishments, and what you're trying to do right now. They still love you, you know. People die, but death can't stop love. Not when it's like that."

"When did you get to be so smart?" Teddy asked, "I left and you grew up."

"I don't think it happened at any particular moment," Victoire said, "I just… Learned, that's all. I learned that I've screwed up a lot, and also that I can be blind to a lot of things. It's just carried over into everything else now, that's all."

"Well, regardless, I'm glad," Teddy said, "I know we're going to make this work. I can feel it. No matter what happens, we'll get through it, okay?"

"Definitely," Victoire said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

They continued to stand there, though they separated to lean against the fence again. As Victoire's eyes wandered over the house and the surrounding landscape, she tilted her head.

It was easy to see how the four friends would have fit into the landscape. It was open and somewhat wild, just like she had always heard they were. Under a full moon, the landscape would have been shrouded with shadows, allowing them to travel without notice. While the distance between the shack and school seemed large, with four legs, it would have been easily traversable in a timely manner, especially considering the existence of the secret passageway. Professor McGonagall and Neville kept a watchful eye on it to ensure that students weren't sneaking into the Shrieking Shack and that no one would come through it from the opposite direction, but it was left open otherwise, just as the Honeydukes passage was.

Of course, Uncle George had speculated that they left the Honeydukes passage open because it was a time-honored tradition for students to sneak into Hogsmeade to get butterbeer and candy, and he was sure that Professor McGonagall had probably done it at least four times during her Hogwarts career. Sometimes, watching the headmistress, Victoire couldn't help but agree with him.

"What are you thinking about?" Teddy asked.

Victoire smiled slightly, "Just about Uncle George's theory about Professor McGonagall sneaking into Hogsmeade when she was a student. What about you?"

Teddy looked at her for a moment, and then turned his gaze back to the landscape, "Do you ever think about where we'll be in five years, or ten?"

Victoire bit her lip, "Honestly, not really. Why, do you?"

"Sometimes."

"What do you think about?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, just… In five years, I see us in our own flat, when we're not off on Auror missions together. It would be nice and small, but just big enough, and it would be ours. In ten years…"

"In ten years, what?" Victoire asked.

He looked at her, "Promise that you won't find this completely insane and leave me?"

"I promise," she said.

"In ten years, I see us married, and in our own house, rather than a flat. I see us getting broody and starting to talk about having children even though we'll both agree that we should wait until we're a little bit older and not off on Auror missions all the time. I see us laughing at your nieces and nephews, because I'm sure that you'll have a couple by that point. I see us being… Us. Happy. Together. All of those things that we're supposed to be," Teddy said. He shook his head a moment later, "It's crazy, I know."

Victoire shook her head, "It's not crazy. It sounds nice. It sounds real."

Teddy's face broke into a huge smile, and he pulled her against him again. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

It was true. She could see it happening. It was easy to picture the little flat with a fireplace and a tiny kitchen, to see them arguing over whose turn it was to take care of the laundry, and then making up five minutes later. It was even easy to picture the house. It would be little, like Shell Cottage, somewhere pretty, but it would have plenty of space for them. The thought of children, though…

She shivered, "Yeah, let's leave off the talking about kids until we're in our late twenties or early thirties, alright? Sixteen's way too young to be thinking about that."

Teddy laughed, "I agree. Right now you just need to focus on graduating and getting into the Auror program."

"And on you," Victoire said.

"No," Teddy said, "I'm flattered that you think I should be a priority, but your future is more important than I am."

"You're in it though," Victoire said, looking up at him.

"That may be, but I want to know that you can stand on your own," Teddy said, "I need to know that."

After a moment, Victoire nodded. "I understand. I'd hate to think that you were putting me before everything else in your life. I'm glad you're not, honestly. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't come before some things, but other things are way more important than this, especially since I think we've just proved that we'll end up getting back together anyway."

"Ahem."

Victoire and Teddy turned. Victoire groaned, "Merlin, Gianna, what do you want?"

Gianna crossed her arms, "I'm going to tell Professor McGonagall that you snuck out. You should be up at the castle right now."

"No, she shouldn't be," Teddy said, "I got permission for her to spend the day here, seeing as I was in Australia all summer and this is the first time that we're seeing each other since June."

Gianna's lip curled, "What, are you together or something?"

Teddy and Victoire exchanged a glance. Victoire made a face, "Why is it that everyone assumes that because we're best friends, it must mean that we're secretly in love with each other?"

"She's my best mate," Teddy said, shrugging, "I love her, yeah, but you should love your mates in general, so I really don't see how it's any different. I also don't see how it's any of your business anyway."

"We were together once, or don't you remember?" Gianna asked, "You said you loved me."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't," Teddy said, "I tend to remember when I say things like that, just because they're kind of important. Also, if I remember correctly, you were the one who broke up with me."

"She was," Victoire said, "You were a mess for weeks."

"Gee, thanks, Tori," Teddy said, making a face at her, "You don't have to embarrass me."

"I'm your best mate, of course I do," Victoire said, "It's in the job description."

"Sometimes I hate you," Teddy said, "A lot of times I hate you, actually."

Gianna looked between them with a sneer on her face, "Are you two done?"

"That depends," Victoire said, "Are you going to leave us alone?"

"Are you going to keep causing me problems?" Gianna asked.

"Well, as long as you're trying to hit on my rather uninterested best mate, yeah, I am," Victoire said, "He doesn't want to be with you. Move on. Please."

"Let him speak for himself, maybe?" Gianna asked, glaring at Victoire. Her expression faded to a much softer one when she looked at Teddy, "Well?"

Teddy looked between the two girls, and then shook his head, "I'm with Tori on this one. I'm not interested. Thanks, but no thanks."

Gianna looked at both of them, stomped her foot, and stormed off.

"Did she really just stomp her foot?" Victoire asked, "I didn't know that was a thing that actually happened."

Teddy laughed, "I think she did, and apparently it is. I meant what I said, you know."

"What do you mean?" Victoire asked, "You said a lot of things."

"I hate you."

"Oh."

"I hate you for being so wonderful."

"_Oh."_

"Yeah, _oh _is right," Teddy said, "You really are my best mate though."

"And you're mine," Victoire said, "Together or not, that doesn't change anything. Obviously, Alexa is also my best mate, but you're in your own category because you're special."

"I'm flattered," Teddy said, laughing again. He sobered a moment later, though there was still a hint of a smile on his face, "I think that we did a rather good job of pretending that there's nothing going on. Do you agree? Disagree? Am I completely mental?"

"Yes, I agree, and yes, you are," Victoire said, grinning, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hold it against you or anything. It just makes me look better."

"I'm glad you're only with me because I make you look good," Teddy said, his voice dry, "Do you want to go back to Sam's now?"

"Sure," Victoire said, "Might as well, I don't really see any point in standing in front of the Shrieking Shack any longer, especially since Gianna could come back any minute."

"Unfortunately," Teddy said, making a face as they walked away, "Sorry about her, love."

"She's mental," Victoire said, "Well, maybe not."

"What do you mean, maybe not?" Teddy asked.

"It's classic," Victoire said, "Not just for girls, but for guys as well. You date someone, you break up with them, thinking that they'll still be around waiting for you when you come back, and then you return to find out that they don't particularly need or want you anymore and that they have quite possibly moved on entirely."

"I don't know what I ever saw in her," Teddy said.

"She's pretty," Victoire said, "She's reasonably smart. She has to be, or she wouldn't have gotten into the Auror program. She's older, which makes her appealing because she's more mature. There's a whole list of things that you saw in her. So long as you don't see enough of them in her to ditch me anymore, we're okay."

"I don't think that I'm ever going to ditch you," Teddy said, "It's not a particularly appealing idea, if you ask me."

"Be as that may," Victoire said, though she smiled, "If you ever decide you like someone more than you like me, please give me fair warning and I'll move on with my life."

"Are you really going to get over me that easily?" Teddy asked, "I'm hurt."

"Oh, it won't be easy," Victoire said, "But it's also not right of me to stand in your way, regardless of what my feelings are. People change, and so do relationships. I'm not saying that I think that ours will, but it's the principle of the thing."

Teddy nodded, "I understand, and I agree with you."

They walked in silence for a few moments, and then Victoire spoke, "You know what I've never understood?"

"What?" Teddy asked.

"This whole 'girl code' thing," Victoire said, "I think the rule that you can't date someone that your friend has either liked or dated at some point is completely absurd."

"I didn't know that was even a thing," Teddy said.

"And that just shows how oblivious you are," Victoire said, grinning, "It is a thing, unfortunately. There's this whole idea that if your friend liked someone, or dated them, you can't date them, and if you do, you should have your friend's permission first."

"That's stupid though," Teddy said, "I mean, leave it for a little while to give them time to get over it, but like you said, people change. Past relationships shouldn't be able to affect whether or not you have one in the present, as long as they aren't yours. Obviously your experiences are going to have an effect on what you will and won't do, but someone else's choices shouldn't matter like that."

"Exactly," Victoire said, "I just find it really dumb. If a girl really likes a boy, and he really likes her, or a girl really likes a girl, etcetera, etcetera, then they should be able to be together, regardless of whether or not one of them dated the other's friend. Love is love, and it shouldn't be stopped unless there's a seriously good reason."

"Like what?" Teddy asked.

"Like…" Victoire trailed off, "Oh, I don't know. You're a prat."

"But you love me," Teddy said.

"Yeah, I do."

They entered Sam's flat to find him sitting at the kitchen table, though he had switched from the Daily Prophet to a thick book.

"What's that?" Victoire asked, gesturing towards the thick tome.

"It's a book of plays," Sam said, "Bradley gave it to me, he said he thought I might find it interesting, and he was right."

"So everything is going well, then," Victoire said.

"Really well, yeah," Sam said, "The guys are cool." Teddy coughed, and Sam rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, not as cool as you. Don't worry, Teddy, I won't leave you for one of my teammates."

"As if any of them could ever compare to me," Teddy said.

"I don't know, some of them are coming awfully close," Sam said, "If you're not careful, they're going to surpass you, and then you won't have me around to tell you that you're being an idiot anymore."

"Victoire already does that for me."

"Yeah, but she's in love with you. At least you know that it's the brutal, honest truth when it comes from me."

"You're an idiot."

Victoire watched the exchange, shaking her head, "I don't know, Teddy, maybe you should stop dating me and just start dating Sam instead. You two argue like an old married couple."

"I resent that," Sam said.

"So do I," Teddy said.

"I resent it more," Sam said.

"No, I do."

"No, I do."

"Old married couple," Victoire sang, grinning at them.

Sam rolled his eyes, "You should know, Vic, you and Teddy are practically one already. You have been for years, actually."

"Our relationship is much more complex than that," Teddy said, slinging an arm around Victoire's shoulders, "We have not yet reached the stage where we can talk about silly things."

"All we ever talk about it silly things," Victoire said, "Well, mostly."

"I think your relationship is built on silly things," Sam said, "They're good silly things, obviously, but they're still silly."

"Well, how else are two toddlers supposed to become friends?" Teddy asked, "We were hardly old enough to discuss political issues, or the quality of Gran's cooking, or anything like that."

"Somehow I think that if you two had wanted to, you would have found a way," Sam said, eyeing the pair with a grin on his face, "So, how was breakfast?"

"Well, breakfast was fine," Victoire said, "Afterwards, less so."

"Why?" Sam asked, "That doesn't sound good. You didn't have another argument again, did you? Vic, please tell me you didn't, there's not enough chocolate in the world to help that guy when he thinks that you're mad at him."

Teddy smacked Sam on the head with a rolled-up newspaper, "No, we didn't have another argument, you complete arse."

"We ran into Gianna," Victoire said, "Well, she found us, anyway."

"Is she still stalking you, mate?" Sam asked, looking at Teddy.

"Sadly, yes," Teddy said.

"What do you mean, stalking you?" Victoire asked.

"She wouldn't stop sending him letters all summer," Sam said, "I swear, he got at least four any time I was with him, and they just kept coming."

"She was trying to talk me into getting back together with her," Teddy said, shaking his head, "I don't even know what to say about it at this point, I'm just trying to pretend that it's not happening and hoping that if I ignore her long enough, she'll go away."

"After what we saw today, I don't think that she's going to give up any time soon," Victoire said, "We can tell people about us, if you want. It could help."

Teddy shook his head, "Much as I'd like to, love, she'd make your life a living hell. Also, she's a little bit insane and I'd rather not add any fuel to the fire. If anything, it would probably just make her pursue me even more."

"You do realize you could just change your hair and face so that she won't know who you are, right?" Sam said, "That way you wouldn't have to worry about her recognizing you."

"Yeah, but the turquoise is Tori's favorite," Teddy said, shrugging.

"It is," Victoire said, smiling.

"It's your life," Sam said, turning his gaze back to the book, "Now, go away, I have reading to do."

Teddy laughed and led Victoire into the living room.

"He's mad," Teddy said, shutting the door and sitting down on the couch, "Completely, utterly mad. You up for a game of Exploding Snap?"

Victoire laughed, "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

They each took their places on opposite sides of the coffee table and began to play. They paused for lunch eventually, and Sam joined them afterward. At five o'clock, Teddy sighed.

"We should probably get you back up to school, Tori."

"Do we have to?" Victoire asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Teddy said, "I promised, and if we ever want to be allowed to do this again, you have to be back on time."

"I guess," Victoire said, sighing.

They gathered up her things from the guest bedroom. Victoire said goodbye to Sam, and then she left the flat with Teddy. They began the long trek up to the castle.

"You'll write me, right?" Victoire asked.

"Obviously," Teddy said, "I'm not going to go back to Australia and forget about you, love. Far from it. Liv and Veronica will hate me by the time we get back here, because I'm not going to shut up about you."

Victoire smiled, "Tell them I said hello, please, and that I'm sorry about the fact that you won't stop talking about me."

"I will," Teddy said, chuckling. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "I'll try and come back for Christmas. I'm pretty sure they'll let us, but I have no way of knowing until right before it happens."

"Well, if you don't make it back, I'll mail you the present," Victoire said.

"Works for me," Teddy said.

They stopped just inside the gates, the castle in sight at the end of the long drive. Teddy fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a small package.

"For you."

Victoire took the tiny paper-wrapped thing and opened it carefully to reveal another charm. This one was a tiny owl.

"For all the letters we've been sending to one another," Teddy murmured, "The things that let you come back to me."

Victoire looked up at him wordlessly. He took the tiny charm and fastened it to her bracelet, and then pulled her to him.

"I swear I'll be back as soon as possible," he said, his words muffled by her hair, "I can't stay away long, I'll go mad."

"I'll miss you," Victoire said, her voice thick.

"I'll miss you too," Teddy said. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, holding her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes, conscious of all of the places that their bodies were touching, and when he finally released her, his eyes were bright. "I love you, you know."

"I love you too," Victoire said, "To the moon and back."

Teddy nodded, "To the moon and back."

After another deep, long kiss, Victoire started the walk up the drive to the castle. She turned around halfway up the drive to see Teddy standing just inside the gate. She blew him a kiss, and he paused before waving at her. They both turned, and went their separate ways.

Despite their separation, Victoire couldn't keep herself from smiling.

* * *

**A/N: **

**IT IS MONDAY, I SWEAR. THIS WILL BE PUBLISHED BEFORE MIDNIGHT.**

**Sorry I didn't update last week, like I said, my computer is a pain in the ass, and then things got out of hand and I got busy and too tired to do much of anything.**

**I'm currently writing three stories that require approximately 5,000-word chapters. This one needs one every week, and the other two, which are my originals on Wattpad, require one each every other week, so in total, I'm writing about twenty thousand words every two weeks. That's NaNoWriMo pace, but constantly.**

**Speaking of, Camp NaNo July starts in just under two weeks. I'm going to try to re-write the actual novel this time, and hopefully I'll get all the way through it, but I'm going to turn this into "Take notes on everything and figure out where the issues are" NaNo so that I can write ANOTHER draft after that which will hopefully address most of the plot holes (The rest can be tied up in the sequel which is currently a WIP).**

**I will NOT be going to LeakyCon this year, but my mother has given me permission to attend LeakyCon 2014 and has said that she will help me to pay for it, so I hope to see some of you there. As I get plans together, I'll be sure to keep you guys updated- I really want to meet any of you that end up going, it would be so cool to meet people that read my writing in real life! **

**If you want updates on my insane existence, and my absurd tweets when I'm writing/suffering from writer's block, message me and I'll let you know what my Twitter is :)**

**Enjoy the chapter! I liked writing it, once I got past my writer's block (That's also why I didn't update, I was having issues with getting words out of my head and onto the page).**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	7. Chapter 7

The weeks following Teddy's departure went better than Victoire had expected. She was busy trying to make sure that Louis had settled into school well, and he had his duties in the Auror program that prevented him from worrying too much, but they continued to write each other as frequently as possible. The knowing looks from the girls returned in full force, despite Victoire's attempts to tell them off for it.

"You know, this is mental," Alexa said one day in mid-November as they sat in the library working on essays for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The place was empty aside from the five girls, as it was a Saturday morning, and everyone else was off having a lie-in.

"What is?" Victoire asked, not looking up from her parchment, "The essay? If that's what you're talking about, I totally agree."

"No, not the essay," Alexa said, "Though that is also crazy. I meant the fact that things are getting serious."

"Meaning?" Monica asked, dipping her quill in her ink bottle, "If you mean school, yeah."

"Not school," Alexa said, "Although, again, still serious. I just meant the fact that we're getting close to the rest of our lives. Life after Hogwarts. Four fifths of us are in serious relationships- not to say that yours isn't serious, Mon, but you know what I mean. We all know what we want to do after school… Where'd the time go, is all."

Molly nodded, "I know what you mean. I mean, at this point it's probably pretty safe to say that Sam and Liam aren't going anywhere, and we all know that Teddy isn't. Jake will probably be around for a while. We're only sixteen and the end of Hogwarts really isn't all that far off."

"Let's not talk about it now," Jade said, "I for one want to finish this essay, and we have another year and seven months until we're done here. That's a lot of time, even if it doesn't always feel like it. Besides, who's to say that something completely unexpected won't spring up and change our plans for what we're doing after school?"

"Although, speaking of," Monica said, "I need to find someone to share a flat with me within that year and seven months. Obviously Vic and Molly are going to be off with their boys, and you'll probably be with Liam, Lex, but I need a flatmate, or I won't be living anywhere nice."

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Victoire said, "You just won't be living anywhere that's as expensive. Besides, who's to say that you won't end up in a serious relationship by then?"

"No one," Alexa said, "You'll find someone though, Mon, I'm sure. People love you, and you can always put out an advertisement for a flatmate."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't want to end up with a complete nutter," Monica said, "What if they're into the Dark Arts or something?"

"Then you'll write one of us and we'll come deal with it," Victoire said, "You'll have Aurors and people from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on your side, I don't think that you need to worry about dealing with people who aren't doing what they're supposed to. We've got it covered."

"That we do," Molly said, "And like Jade said, you've got plenty of time to worry about it. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, yeah," Monica said, "Now, can someone please explain to me what in Merlin's name is going on here? I don't have idea what I'm saying anymore."

Jade rolled her eyes and reached for Monica's essay. As they began to discuss the topic at hand, Victoire's gaze moved to the window. They had a clear view of the grounds from where they sat, and it was easy for her to picture Sam and Teddy out there on their brooms, throwing the Quaffle around. It was something that they had always been fond of doing while she was in the library studying, but they had to give it up in her fourth year after Professor McGonagall yelled at them for disturbing the other students in the library. It hadn't been a serious reprimand, she always had a soft spot for Quidditch, but they knew that they had to stop after that.

As strange as it felt to admit, Alexa was right. They got closer to the end with each passing day, and it felt more like a reality than it ever had with the boys off following their own pursuits. In approximately a year and seven months, Victoire would be out of school and off to carve herself a place in the Auror department and the Wizarding world. Teddy had done a good job of it, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to pursue the program abroad. It would mean being away from him again, only she would be the one off on another continent for who knew how long.

She'd be lying if she said that she didn't miss him. He was her best friend above anything, and they played off of each other in ways that they couldn't do with anyone else. Plus, it wasn't the same, not knowing everyone that he was working with. It calmed her to know that he was down there with Olivia and Veronica, both of whom had always been nice to Victoire, but it wasn't the same as having him living in the same castle as she was, or only being a Floo trip away. She knew that Molly felt it too, but it was different for her. Sam was just down in the village, and had managed to make his way into dinner at the castle a few times. They were hardly on opposite sides of the planet from one another, and they hadn't been best friends since they were children.

"Everything okay over there, Vic?"

Victoire looked up to see Jade looking at her curiously. She shrugged, "Yeah, fine, just thinking."

Jade nodded slowly, "If you say so." She went back to looking at Monica's essay without another word, and Victoire set about getting back to work.

"The annual Potter Christmas party invitations arrived this morning," Molly said, after a long period of silence punctuated by the scratch of quills on paper, "You weren't there to get yours, Vic, since you got breakfast in the kitchens today, but I have it if you want it."

"Please," Victoire said.

Molly leaned down and opened her bag. She dug around for a few moments before pulling out a thick parchment envelope with Victoire's name scrawled on it in a cursive script that she recognized as Aunt Ginny's.

"Thanks a million, Molls," Victoire said, sliding her finger through the envelope to open it.

"No problem," Molly said, "I knew you'd be upset if you missed it, so I figured I'd keep it for you. I think that Bat knew to leave it with me since you weren't there."

Victoire chuckled at the mention of Aunt Ginny's owl, who Harry had named for her famous use of the Bat-Bogey hex, "Yeah, probably."

She pulled the invitation out of the envelope and looked at it. In a flowing script, it read:

_This invitation invites you, Victoire Weasley, to attend the annual Potter Christmas party at the Potter Manor, beginning on Saturday, December the Twenty-Fourth of the year Two Thousand and Sixteen, and ending on Sunday, December the Twenty-Fifth, Two Thousand and Sixteen._

Another piece of paper fell out of the envelope, and she picked it up. Uncle Harry's familiar handwriting was centered on it, and she smiled at the sight of the message.

_Victoire,_

_As Head of the Auror office, I can promise you that those in our accelerated program will be given time off for Christmas and New Year's. They will be coming home on the twentieth, and remaining until January third. I don't know if you've heard from Teddy already, but I thought that I would let you know. _

_-Uncle Harry_

"Somebody got some good news, then," Monica said, laughing, "That's more than just an invitation, isn't it?"

"Uncle Harry left me a note saying that the people in Teddy's program will definitely be home for Christmas and New Year's," Victoire said, her smile widening, "He's going to be here for about two weeks."

"Vic, that's great!" Alexa said, "I bet you're happy."

"You bet correctly," Victoire said, "It'll be good to have him around for a little while."

"Yeah, have him around," Jade said, winking at Victoire.

Victoire's mouth dropped, "Jade!"

Molly laughed, "You know you'll have to tell us eventually, right?"

"We haven't done anything even remotely close to- We're not going to do anything like that for a- This is- I can't believe you four," Victoire said. She glared at them as they continued to laughed, and slammed her book shut, "If you don't stop, I'm leaving."

"If you all don't stop, I'm going to have to ask you _all_ to leave."

Their laughing fell silent as they looked up to see Madam Pince glaring down at them.

Molly swallowed, "Sorry, ma'am, it won't happen again."

She fixed them all with an imperious stare and then walked away.

"Well, I guess that's that," Alexa said, "We're going to get banned if we make any more noise, so I say we retreat to the common room."

"Works for me," Victoire said, "I'm nearly done with the essay, I'll finish it tonight. Anyone else want to head down to the kitchens with me to get something to eat? I really don't feel like waiting until dinner."

"I'm in," Jade said.

"Lexa?" Victoire asked.

Alexa shook her head, "Can't, I need to get through more of this essay before I stop. I'll see you at dinner."

"Molls? Mon?"

"Nah," Monica said, "I need to pick Alexa's brain about this since Jade's leaving me."

"And I have work to do," Molly said, "Go on, you two have fun."

"Aye-aye, captain," Jade said. She shoved her things into her bag and stood up as Victoire did the same. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Victoire said.

They left the library and walked in silence for a few minutes.

"So, what was so thought-consuming in the library earlier?" Jade asked eventually, "You seemed to be very out of sorts."

"It just hit me, you know," Victoire said, "The end is in sight, we're not going to come back after next year… We have to start living as adults. And it also struck me that even Molly isn't really familiar with what things are like for Teddy and me right now. Sam's right down in the village, and they see each other pretty regularly. They can exchange multiple letters in a day. It takes Teddy and me over a week to even do one exchange of letters, and I see him on occasion. I just… We're growing up, Jade, and it's odd."

"It had to happen sometime," Jade said, shrugging, "But I understand. He'll be back soon, it's only another month or so until Christmas. You two will have plenty of time to spend together over the holidays, it's not like anyone is going to expect the two of you to be apart, whether they know about your relationship or not. You two always were joined at the hip, they won't expect anything different when he comes back."

"Well, they might," Victoire said, "I mean, the whole family is pretty much aware that we weren't speaking much at the end of the year, and they might wonder what happened to make us be friends again. That's the first real fight that we've ever had, I mean…"

"I'm sure they've been waiting for you two to make up," Jade said, "A person would have to be completely mad to think that you wouldn't. You two are really great friends, regardless of the whole love thing, and you're bound to fight, but you're also bound to make up eventually. Nobody would expect you to do anything different. You're Teddy and Vic for a reason."

"I suppose," Victoire said, "Still. And my mum knows about what happened with Teddy at the end of the year, the real reason why we weren't speaking, so I don't know what she's going to think about the whole thing. Besides, I feel like I'll have to tell her that he and I are together, which means I have to tell Dad, because I can't ask her to keep that a secret from him. A break-up is one thing. A relationship is something else."

"Your parents love Teddy," Jade said, "Everyone does. And you don't have to tell them now. You can just tell your mum that the two of you decided that your friendship wasn't worth throwing away over something like that, and that you wrote each other and smoothed things over and you're back to being friends again. It's really not that far from the truth, you know."

"I suppose," Victoire said, as they entered the kitchen, "You're a lot smarter than I ever gave you credit for. I'm still sorry about that."

Jade waved her hand in dismissal, "Well, I didn't really give you much of a reason to like me, so I can't say I really blame you. At least you know that I'm awesome now."

Victoire laughed, "I'll say. How are things going with Jake? I haven't asked you that in a while."

"Well, I think," Jade said, smiling, "His parents are lovely, and his sister seems to like me, which is good."

"Relationships rarely last without the approval of siblings," Victoire said, "Something I learned from my massive family. Not getting along with the parents is one thing, because they're easier to get away from, but people are normally closer to their siblings and it's necessary to maintain a certain level of friendship with them."

"Definitely," Jade said, "But yeah, things are good."

"I'm glad," Victoire said, taking a seat at the table that rested in the kitchen, "You're good for each other."

"We try," Jade said, laughing.

"I know," Victoire said, "I'm glad that things are working out for everyone. I think we all deserve it, after the madness of the last year or so. One thing's for sure, I never expected my time at Hogwarts to be this crazy."

"Hon, if you think this is crazy, you're setting yourself up for something completely and utterly mental," Jade said, "Think about what our families went through while they were here. Merlin, you're the niece of the Golden Trio and the daughter of one of the few people to survive a werewolf attack without becoming one themselves. We haven't gone through anything near as mad as they have, and we still have time for things to go south. I say take what you can get."

"You're probably right," Victoire said, sighing.

"It does happen from time to time," Jade said, smiling.

"I just wish Teddy was home," Victoire said, "Things would be better if he was here. Say, did you get an invitation to the party?"

"Yeah," Jade said, "So did Jake, and his family, so we'll be there."

"Good," Victoire said, "The party can continue as usual, then. I usually go a few days early to spend time with Teddy, but it always turns into a gathering of our entire bunch after the first day or two. We just really don't like to be away from you guys for long. Plus, he wants to get to know you and he'll have a better chance of it when we're not completely pressed for time."

"I look forward to it," Jade said, "Now that he knows I'm not completely mad."

"It is a definite improvement," Victoire said, laughing at the face Jade made at her.

They got their food from the house elves and continued to joke around as they ate.

The days that followed fell into a pattern for Victoire. She would get up, go to breakfast, then class, and then she would either have free time or Quidditch practice, which was followed by the occasional patrol, and then bed. She and Danny were still patrol partners, and it had been a good way for them to build their friendship, something that Victoire was grateful for.

The last Monday in November found them walking the halls together, catching the occasional snogging couple. Most were sent on with a warning, but there were a few who had become such regular occurrences that they immediately got detention rather than points taken off.

"You know," Danny said, as they walked away from a classroom on the third floor where they had just caught a pair of sixth-year Ravenclaws, "Nessa really wants to spend some time with you."

"Really?" Victoire asked, "I would, I'm just swamped with work. What with patrols and Quidditch, I barely have time to do homework, let alone do much of anything fun."

"I know," Danny said, smiling, "I just thought I'd mention it. Also, we were invited to the Potter's Christmas party. I trust that you're going?"

Victoire nodded, "Yeah, I am. I sort of have to, and not just because they're family."

"Why do you have to go, then?" Danny asked, "It's not like you and Lupin are… Wait, you and Lupin are talking again, aren't you?"

"You could call it that, yeah," Victoire said, "I just realized I never told you. That first Hogsmeade weekend, he came back from Australia for a couple of days, and we decided that we were going to give things a try again. They're going better than last time, honest, and I'm really looking forward to seeing him."

Danny was silent for a moment. "Well, if he hurts you again, I will maim him," he said eventually, "But I'm glad that the two of you figured it out. I'm not really sure that he deserves you, but better him than anyone else, I suppose."

"It was just as much my fault as it was his," Victoire said, sighing, "I wish I hadn't been that stupid, but it did have its benefits. I wouldn't be friends with you if he and I hadn't split, and we wouldn't have had time to really think about what it was that we wanted out of a relationship with one another. Teddy's just been such a definite in my life that neither of us really knew how to appropriately handle the fact that we weren't just friends anymore. Time apart let us figure it out."

"Yeah, I suppose Nessa going away helped us to avoid that," Danny said, "I still owe you for that."

"For what, breaking up with you?" Victoire asked, "No, you don't. If we look at it that way, I owe Jake, and you owe me, and the whole thing will just turn into a cycle of all of us owing someone else. You two are happy together, that's all I really care about. Nessa's sweet."

"She is, yeah," Danny said. They walked in silence for a few minutes, and then Danny said something that made Victoire stop in her tracks, "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"You're _what?" _Victoire asked, once she'd regained her voice.

"Not yet," Danny said, "Not until after we graduate, but I am going to ask her. She's… She's the most important thing in my life, and I don't want to lose her again."

Victoire smiled, starting to walk again, "I'm happy for you. That's really good, Danny. She's sweet, and you two are really good for each other."

"I know we're a bit young," he said, "And we probably won't get married for a couple of years, but I know that she's the one for me and I want her to know that too."

"She's a fool if she doesn't know that already," Victoire said, "But I get your point."

"What about you and Teddy?" Danny asked eventually, his gaze falling on Victoire.

"That's not going to happen for a long time," Victoire said, "But we did talk about it. It's certainly an idea that we're both fond of, I think, but who's to say if it'll come true?"

"Meaning?" Danny asked.

"When he was here, he asked me where I saw us in five or ten years," Victoire said, opening a broom cupboard with a wave of her wand. She rolled her eyes, "Fitzpatrick, Shelby, get back to your dormitories before I give you detention. Five points from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor." She waited until the fifth and sixth years had hurried off to continue talking, "Anyway, he and I have pretty much the same idea."

"Which is?" Danny asked, "Sorry if I'm prying, I'm just curious."

"Don't be sorry," Victoire said, smiling, "I haven't even told the girls this, so you're sworn to secrecy, but anyway… In five years, we'll be in our own flat together, and in ten, we'll be married with a house somewhere. Personally, I think that sounds completely reasonable for us, but who knows what will happen. Plans can change, but I don't think that Teddy's going anywhere, and I'm definitely not."

"As long as you're happy with it," Danny said. He fell silent again, and then spoke as they walked up the stairs to the fourth floor, "It's weird, knowing that this is my last year. I can't quite wrap my mind around it."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Victoire said, "It's a big change, after seven years of this place. Are you doing the fast-track program for the Aurors, or are you just going to do regular training?"

"Regular, I think," he said, "I just can't see myself going off to another country for who knows how long, even if it would put me further along in the process at the end than I'd make staying here for that amount of time. Besides, I feel like I'd be better served to train under your uncles, because they've completely changed the department since their school days and I think I could really learn a lot from them."

"Oh, you'll learn a lot alright," Victoire said, "They're very serious about their work, Uncle Harry especially. He really doesn't want for there to be a repeat of his experiences."

"I don't really see how there could be, but you're right," Danny said, "Better we all know how to defend ourselves now rather than later when we don't really have time to do much of anything."

"Exactly," Victoire said.

They continued to patrol, and then parted ways to go back to their dormitories. The Gryffindor common room was still partially filled when Victoire entered it, and she raised her eyebrows as she approached the girls.

"Homework," Monica said, as Victoire sat down in an armchair and opened her mouth, "We're not all brilliant like you, so we figured we'd better just stay up late and get it done rather than scrambling to work on it tomorrow. You know, priorities and all of that."

"Well, I'm glad that you're finally learning something from me," Victoire said, her gaze traveling around the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of a few people, and she stood up, "I'll be back."

The girls nodded in understanding as Victoire walked to the other corner of the room. She paused in front of her young cousins and their friends, her hands on her hips, "And what exactly do you lot think that you're doing? I'm not an idiot, James, I know you guys."

James looked up at her with wide eyes. To anyone who didn't know the eldest Potter child, it would have looked like an expression of completely innocence, but Victoire knew better. James only got that look on his face when he was about to do something that could get him into trouble._ A lot_ of trouble.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," James said.

"I have known you since the day that you were born," Victoire said, pointing at him, "You can't get past me. I was trained by Uncle George too, you know." She looked around at the rest of the group. Fred and Roxy looked away as soon as her gaze fell on them, and Tara Jordan looked the picture of innocence as she gazed up at Victoire. Sarah Winters was staring at the ground, the flickering firelight hiding the blush that Victoire knew was on the younger girl's cheeks, and Declan and Aidan Finnegan had the same blank expression on their faces.

"Regardless, it's nearly eleven, and you lot should really be in bed," Victoire said, crossing her arms, "It's only Monday, you'll be tired for the rest of the week if you stay up much longer. Off you go."

Her cousins and their friends scampered off, saying goodnights as they passed. Victoire grabbed James' arm as he tried to go past her, "James Potter, you listen to me right now, understand?"

"Yes," he said, after staring at her for a few moments.

"I will admit that the school is in need of some pranking. Things have been too quiet since Sam and Teddy left," she said, "However, whatever it is that you do, it had better be harmless, and it had better not be illegal, do you understand me?"

James laughed, "Like we would do anything illegal, Vic. We're too smart for that." His smile widened and he stood up on his toes to press a kiss to her cheek, "Goodnight."

He walked away without waiting for a response, and she shook her head, watching him leave. Once he had disappeared up the stairs to his dormitory, she returned to her friends. Alexa looked up from the book she held as Victoire sat down.

"What was that about?"

"The hell if I know," Victoire said, "Whatever it is, it's not illegal, so I figure they're probably okay. They're going to end up with multiple detentions during their time here, and things _have _been pretty dull ever since Sam and Teddy left, so I figured I might as well let them give us a laugh, at the very least. James is right. They may only be twelve, but they're all way too smart to do anything that's going to get them into loads of trouble. Besides, they've got Uncle George on their side, and I'm pretty sure that Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick still have a soft spot for him."

Alexa was staring at her, and she shrugged, "What?"

"Teddy really has corrupted you," the black-haired girl said, her eyes wide, "You always used to yell at him for doing stupid things when we were younger."

"That was until I realized that the stupid things were hilarious and harmless," Victoire said, "Well, harmless except for the matters of several people's pride, but most of them needed the reality check."

Molly laughed, "I'll say. Anyways, Lex, I was always the more responsible one out of the two of us."

"How responsible you are now is entirely questionable though," Jade said, "I mean, you _do_ have a boyfriend that very few people know about, so I'd say you're starting to reach Victoire's level of irresponsibility."

"I'm perfectly responsible," Victoire said, "I get my work done, I don't get detention. What more do you want from me?"

"She does have a point," Monica said, "Still, hiding your boyfriend from your family is a pretty irresponsible thing to do, so I applaud you for that."

Victoire shook her head, "You're all ridiculous. I hope you know that."

They sat there for a while longer. Jade, Molly, Monica, and Alexa continued to work on their assignments, and Victoire alternated her gaze between the fire and the grounds outside the window. She could almost see the cold, and she shivered despite herself. The temperature had dropped drastically within the few days previous, and every Hogwarts student was feeling it. The usual hurry from class to class had only increased, an inverse relationship with student morale. Despite Gryffindor's win against Ravenclaw in the first Quidditch match of the season two weeks before had helped to keep some spirit, but it was fast decreasing along with the weather.

At half-past eleven, Victoire stood up, "We should probably head to bed. I'm going to try and convince everyone else to go too, there's no reason for anyone else to stay up or we'll just end up with people in the hospital wing because of sleep deprivation."

Molly looked at the clock, "Vic's right, it's bedtime for us." She gathered her things and headed upstairs, Alexa, Jade, and Monica following close behind.

Victoire made her rounds, stopping at every small group that was still in the common room. When she finally reached the stairs again, all but a few Gryffindors had taken her up on her advice and gone upstairs.

"My work here is done," she said, surveying the near-empty common room before turning and walking up the stairs.

They'd thank her for it later.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter is madness, but so it goes. This is what happens when I'm up until four AM the night before and have to write another two thousand words... Oh well.**

**I'm riding my lesson horse tomorrow and Thursday for my instructor because she's out of town this week on vacation, so I've been really focused on that. It's really nice to be riding again, it was such a big part of my life and I missed it a lot.**

**I'm knitting house scarves to raise money for LeakyCon, so if you'd like to find them, you can go to my etsy store, which is acreatureofhope. Unfortunately, I have not yet listed any, but I'm nearly done with the Ravenclaw scarf that someone wanted, so pictures will be going up for that (they're made to order), and you can always submit a custom order for one if you'd like to.**

**I also had an idea for a Supernatural/Harry Potter fandom scarf, and a Merlin/Harry Potter, and I will likely come up with others as time goes on. **

**Also, you guys keep finding me on Tumblr. I swear, you're all detectives, I only have ~300 followers so it's not like I'm Tumblr-famous or anything. **

**That's all for now.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	8. Chapter 8

Monica's seventeenth birthday came with a finality that was both unexpected and incredibly dislodging to the sixth-year girls. The Monday morning was cold, and snow blanketed the grounds. The Black Lake had frozen over, something that rarely happened, and Hagrid could be seen breaking the ice every few days in order to let the Giant Squid get up to the surface for a little while. Warming charms had become the newest fad, and people would have sprinted from class to class, were it not for the fact that the snow prevented that. Care of Magical Creatures classes had been forced to move inside to work with small animals, as it was too cold outdoors to remain outside for longer than a few minutes.

"This is it," Monica said, looking down at her hands when the girls woke her up that morning, "I guess I didn't really think about what this was going to feel like when we were joking about it before."

"It's you first, and then the rest of us," Alexa said, "Speaking of, when's your birthday, Jade?"

"March twenty-third," Jade said, "But forget about me, today is all about Monica."

"Thanks guys," Monica said, half-smiling. She got out of bed and grabbed her clothes before disappearing into the bathroom and pulling the door shut behind her.

"Do you think she's alright?" Victoire asked after a few minutes, looking at the bathroom door.

"I think so," Molly said, "It's just that this is a permanent and tangible taste of the end of things. She's officially an adult now. You have to admit that you'd find that idea a bit frightening."

"I know I do," Jade said, "That's why I prefer to not think about it and instead spend my time thinking about other things, like school and you lot."

"I'd imagine it's worse for her," Victoire said, "She's always been the most carefree of the lot of us, but this is just a reminder that she's the oldest of us and that she's going to have to be an adult and out on her own soon. That's not exactly the easiest thought in the world."

"She's got Ben though," Alexa said, "That's got to count for something, right?"

"I won't have him for much longer, if recent events can tell me anything."

The four girls looked over to see Monica standing in front of the bathroom door. She walked over to her bed, made it with a flick of her wand, and dropped her pajamas onto it. After grabbing her shoes, she sat down on the edge of her bed and began to put them on.

"What do you mean, not for much longer?" Jade asked, "You two have been fine."

"Yeah, but I'm not really looking for fine," Monica said, "We just haven't been… Feeling it lately, you know? He's nice and all, but he's not really what I'm looking for, if that makes any sense."

Victoire stuck her tongue out at Alexa, who had raised her eyebrows pointedly, before she spoke, "It makes perfect sense to me."

"Yeah, you're probably the only one who would get it," Monica said, sighing.

"Okay, we're not doing this right now," Jade said, "It's your birthday, Monica! That means we're going to have fun and today is going to be happy, not angsty, alright?"

Molly chuckled. "I'm with Jade, let's have fun today. We can worry about boys later. Now, I believe the plan was to give you all of your presents over breakfast, so let's get down to the Great Hall, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me," Alexa said, "I'm really hungry."

They left the dormitory a few minutes later, after they'd found everything they needed, and tramped down to the common room. Liam was sitting by the fire with Chelsea and Jack, and they all rose as the girls came down the stairs.

"Morning," Liam said, kissing Alexa on the cheek, "Happy birthday, Monica."

"Thank you," Monica said, smiling.

"You're of age now, how frightening," Chelsea said, chuckling, "Where'd the time go?"

Jack, who was Liam and Nick's best mate as well as Chelsea's boyfriend, squeezed her hand. "Don't make the poor girl feel old, Chels, it's not nice."

"I know, I'm absolutely ancient," Monica said, rolling her eyes, "I'll be going grey soon enough."

"With these friends, you will," Jack said, nodding at the other girls, a smile ghosting on his lips.

"You arse," Chelsea said, smacking his shoulder, "The girls are fine. It's the lads that drive us mad."

"She's right, you know," Victoire said, "It's usually your fault, with all of your antics."

"Yeah, yeah, of course she's right," Jack said, "She always is, or so I've been told."

Chelsea patted his cheek. "You're learning. That means I'm doin g my job right."

That elicited a round of laughter from everyone else, and they left the common room to go down to breakfast, joining the pile of students that had the same idea as they did.

The Great Hall was full of students when they entered. Liam simply cut a path through the crowd, who parted, as was the usual procedure with Quidditch captains, especially seventh-year Quidditch captains, who might as well have been royalty for all of the honor that was awarded to them by their schoolmates. Victoire wasn't about to complain. It was useful, having a best friend who was dating one of them, and she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to make use of his privileges. Liam's Head Boy status only served to make him more important in the eyes of the student body.

The younger Weasley cousins and their friends had filled the seats by Victoire's usual location. James was laughing at something that Tara had said, but he fell silent when he noticed Victoire watching him. She raised her eyebrows, and he shrugged before taking a bite of his bacon. Victoire rolled her eyes and sat down. It wouldn't do her any good to lecture him, if what she had heard about Uncle Fred and Uncle George was true. There was no stopping their ideas once they had them.

"They're plotting something," Molly muttered, sitting down beside Victoire, "I know them, I know that look, and I know that they're plotting something, the little rascals. Do you think it's something bad, or what? I hope it doesn't get them into trouble."

"There's nothing that will stop them unless they want it to," Victoire said, "I trust them. Sort of. Let them have their fun, it's not going to get them expelled. If Uncle Fred and Uncle George didn't get expelled, I doubt they will. And yes, I am aware that they left school of their own accord seventh year, but can you really blame them? That Umbridge woman sounds like she was a huge bitch."

"Well, she ended up in Azkaban, so there you go," Molly said, "But yeah, point taken. I suppose it runs in the family, so I shouldn't really complain about it. I suppose it's better that they're pranking than doing something really bad that could get them in trouble with more than just the professors."

"Exactly," Victoire said, reaching for the pumpkin juice, "Now, where's Nick? We need him before we can start the present-giving."

"He'll be here in a minute," Chelsea said, overhearing their conversation, "He was running a bit late, he said something about his present for Monica when he told me earlier."

"I thought you guys were giving a collective gift," Alexa said, raising her eyebrows.

"We were going to, but he insisted," Chelsea said, "He may be my twin, but I don't know what to do with that boy most of the time. We are not on the same wavelength at all, except for where Sam is concerned, and even that's questionable at times. Nick's an odd one."

"We're all odd ones," Liam said dryly, "I don't think he's any worse than the rest of us. In fact, he's a bit better, but that's probably because he's not dating one of this bunch. Besides, Jake isn't here."

"What is it with you lot and knocking our brilliance?" Jade asked, "You seem to be awfully fond of abusing us for being incredible. And Jake had to go the hospital wing last night, he's not feeling very well and he has to stay for the day so that he can sleep and recover a bit."

"I just realized how confusing this is," Monica said, "Jade, Jake, Jack… What are we doing, befriending all of these people with names that sound so similar? It's going to get us into trouble one of these days."

"Until it does, I vote that we don't worry about it," Molly said, "It's worked fine so far, let's not make it more complicated just for the sake of doing so. They all know who they are. It's not like we're around Jack that often anyway, and Jade and Jake sound different enough for it to work."

"Listen to Molly," Victoire said, "She understands what's going on here. And our last member has arrived. Keep your gifts at the ready, guys."

Sure enough, Nick sat down beside Chelsea, taking a piece of toast off of her plate as he did. She smacked him in protest, and he rolled his eyes, setting a carefully wrapped package on the table in front of him. Once he filled his plate, Chelsea nicked a piece of bacon from him, eliciting a round of laughter from everyone else as they watched the two siblings begin to stare at each other unflinchingly.

"Before someone gets killed, let's give Monica her presents, shall we?" Jade asked.

Within moments, a large stack of gifts had formed in front of Monica, who eyed them with some trepidation. "I don't know where to start."

"Just do it," Molly said, shrugging.

Monica nodded and took the first package, opening it carefully. It took her fifteen minutes to open all of the presents, and her smile got wider and wider as she did. When she finally finished, it was to see a pile of presents stacked a foot and a half in the air. She looked around at her friends wordlessly, smiling at them. Everyone nodded, and Alexa and Jade, who were on either side of her, hugged her swiftly.

"Happy birthday," they chorused as the owls began to fly into the Great Hall with the post. A large, unfamiliar screech owl dropped a package over where Monica sat. It was a few feet above her when it burst open, showering confetti over the group. Two small owls followed, dropping letters on top of the pile of presents as everyone laughed.

"Well, open them," Chelsea said, gesturing toward the envelopes with a grin.

Monica did as she was told. "The first one says… To my favorite American: I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to throw confetti at you in person, but I had practice, so this will have to do. Molly's gift is from the both of us, and I hope you like it (She's the one that picked it out though, so I can't take all the credit, unfortunately). Happy birthday, kid, Sam." There was more laughter as she finished the letter, and she opened the second. "Monica Birchfield: Happy birthday. You'd better appreciate this gesture, or I'll come for you. Sadly, I am still stuck in Australia, so Sam and I orchestrated this surprise for you, because it wouldn't be your seventeenth birthday unless we did something dramatic to get the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. Look behind the teachers' table for more. From, Teddy. P.S. Tell Victoire that I said hello." She winked at Victoire, who blushed as the others laughed.

They looked up at the teachers' table. Victoire flicked her wand, and a banner dropped down from the wall. It read: "To our favorite American, part two. MONICA BIRCHFIELD IS OF AGE. WE REPEAT, MONICA BIRCHFIELD IS OF AGE. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES. Happy birthday to the most insane kid we know, from Sam and Teddy. P.S. Professor McGonagall, this was our idea, so don't blame the kids. We miss causing trouble for you, so we figured we'd do it from afar."

"They're crazy," Monica said, once she stopped laughing. She wiped her eyes, a broad grin on her face, "They're crazy, and I have the best friends in the world. Thanks for this, guys."

"Like they said, we had nothing to do with this stuff," Alexa said, smiling, "The confetti and banner were all them. You're welcome for the presents though. You deserve them."

"She's right, you know," Molly said, "You really do deserve them, for being so incredible. It's a shame you're so old, but…"

"Oh, shut it," Monica said, throwing her napkin at Molly. She had a smile on her face as she did, and it was enough to make everyone else around her smile too.

The first couple of classes after breakfast were fine, but when Defense came, Victoire found that she had to restrain herself from making a few cutting remarks that probably would have gotten her detention. Professor Valance was sick, and evidently the witch had something that Madam Pomfrey couldn't cure, so she had gone off to St. Mungo's for the day, leaving Gianna to teach in her place. The twenty-year-old spent most of the class, which was practical work, criticizing not only Victoire and her skills, but also the skills of all of her friends. When they finally left class, Victoire wasn't the only one fuming over what had happened.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" Alexa asked, as they walked to lunch, "She's got no business talking to any of us like that, least of all you, Vic. You're the best Defense student in the class, and she knows it as well as everyone else."

"She's still jealous," Molly said, shaking her head, "She's jealous of the fact that Vic has Teddy, for all intents and purposes, because she can't see why Vic is a million times better than she is. Still, that's absolutely no excuse to not act as a professional. I'd tell you to write to Uncle Harry, Vic, but I doubt you want to tell him about Teddy right now, so I won't say anything."

"I'd still go to Professor McGonagall," Jade said wryly, "You don't have to say a word about the fact that you and Teddy have a thing going. Just tell her that Gianna's been rude to you because she's still hung up on Teddy, he wants nothing to do with her, and you're his best friend."

"I don't want to," Victoire said, sighing, "I don't agree with how she's acting, but I can understand why she feels the way that she does. I'd probably feel the same way if I were in her position. Teddy's hard to lose, even if you're the one who pushed him away in the first place."

"Yeah, but the point is that she pushed him away," Monica said, "She pushed him away, expecting that he'd hang around and wait for her, despite the fact that she treated him like crap both while they were together and after they broke up, and then when he didn't, she acted like he was the one who did something wrong. He didn't do anything wrong, he just realized that he deserved better than her."

"And he found someone better than her," Alexa said, "She knows that, deep down, but she doesn't want to admit it to herself, so she just bullies you instead because it makes her feel better for a little while. It's no excuse for treating a student like that though, especially since she's meant to be impartial as a teacher, even if she's only training as one."

"There's nothing you can really do about it though," Molly said, "I agree with you, Vic, it's not really going to do you any good to go to Professor McGonagall, and if anything, it would just make Gianna hate you even more, which is the exact opposite of what we're trying to accomplish here."

Victoire groaned. "Enough about my life problems, let's move on to fun things. You're all planning on going to the Potter Christmas party, right?"

"And New Year's, yeah," Alexa said, "Why do you ask?"

"We're having another official snowball fight," Victoire said, "I suggest that you all come prepared. Also, my mum wrote me last week to let me know that you're all welcome to come by for a post-Christmas Day dinner on the twenty-sixth. She wants to spend more time with my friends, because apparently she doesn't know all of you well enough. I can understand that with Jade, but I've been friends with Lexa and Mon since first year, and Molly's her niece, so I'm not sure what she's talking about."

"Won't you be too wrapped up in Teddy to spend time with us?" Jade asked, smiling mischievously, "I swear that we won't take it personally if you are."

"Shut up," Victoire said, making a face, "He'll have been back for nearly a week at that point, we'll be over it by then. I can't believe you guys sometimes."

"Why, because we tell the truth?" Molly asked, grinning, "I'm sorry that you don't want to hear it, Vic, but someone has to make sure that you're aware of how nauseatingly cute the two of you are. It seems that no matter what happens, you two have to be that way."

"My apologies for the fact that we like hugging," Victoire said, her nose in the air, "I ignore all of you."

She started off down the hall at a faster pace than that of her four friends, who followed close behind, laughing loudly. The banner was still in the Great Hall when they entered it, and it didn't take long for the negative feelings from Defense to wear off as they sat there throwing napkins at one another. Professor McGonagall's attempts to hide a smile at their antics only made things better.

After classes, they marched up to the dormitory, where they pulled on layers of warm clothes, which were then topped with coats, hats, gloves, and warming spells. Liam, Jake, and Nick joined them as they walked through the common room and headed out to the grounds. They spent hours by the edge of the lake, throwing snowballs and chasing each other.

For Victoire, the only thing that would have made it better would have been having Teddy and Sam there. This was what she loved, having all of her friends in one place and doing things that made no sense to anyone else with them. They had never really believed in normal, despite their attempts to be at least somewhat responsible, and it only made sense to relax by burying each other in the snow until they were laughing so hard that they cried. It was easy for other people to look at them and comment on their strangeness, but for them, it was what they wanted, and that was all that mattered. People didn't understand them, but they didn't need anyone else's approval to be happy. They just needed each other. The snow was only an added bonus.

They went down to the kitchens when they finally went inside, getting hot chocolate from the house elves. They finished it just as the elves started to prepare dinner, which was their cue to go back to their respective dormitories and leave their layers.

"You lot are going to be the death of me," Liam said, as they settled down to dinner, "I have a ton of work that I need to get done."

"I think it was worth it, personally," Alexa said, reaching for the potatoes, "You have to admit that you had a really, really good time bewitching snowballs to hit Jake in the head the entire way back to the castle. If you don't, I have to say that you're lying."

"You're right, that was pretty entertaining," Liam said, grinning.

"For you, maybe," Jake said, "For me, not so much."

Jade patted his shoulder, "Better you than the rest of us, honey."

There was a round of laughter at that. There wasn't much talking through dinner, as everyone was too busy eating to say much of anything, but every so often someone would mime throwing a snowball at Jake's head, sending everyone into fits of laughter that drew attention from the rest of the Great Hall.

"This was a good birthday," Monica said, as they walked to the common room after dinner, "I know I still have a ton of work to do, but aside from that, this was a really good birthday."

"I'm glad," Molly said, "We tried. It's kind of difficult on a Monday, but I'd say that we did a pretty good job, wouldn't you?"

"I would," Alexa said, "I wish my birthday was this awesome. Instead, I'm overshadowed by the impending doom of exams and the torrential downpour that goes along with April."

"Well, we can't exactly have a snowball fight when it's pouring down rain," Victoire said, grinning, "But yeah, point taken. I agree."

"I'm glad someone does," Alexa said.

They didn't go to bed until well past midnight that night, but when they finally did, it was with the mutual feeling that it was worth it.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Well, this update is about 1500 words shorter than normal, but alas.**

**My hands hurt like hell right now. Camp NaNo started today and I've written over five thousand words for that, plus the almost 3600 for this, plus the ~3000 for various fics for Idiots' Day on Tumblr, so basically I've written about 11,000 words total today. Pain.**

**My desktop also gave out on me, so my dad gave me the one that was in my parents' room, and honestly, I never realized how shitty it would be to only have 2 GB of RAM until I started using this stupid thing.**

**I should be getting a new laptop at the end of the month (It's looking like it's going to be a VAIO), but it depends on what I want to get/how long it takes to convince my mother to let me get the one that I want (It's kind of expensive, but it needs to last me through college so I want to get something that isn't complete crap). I'm hoping that I will, because it'll have an i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM, plus a super nice graphics card and a big hard drive, but we'll see.**

**You guys probably won't be getting an update next week, and if you do, it will not be on time because a) I'm going to a TSwift concert this weekend which means I will be exhausted and won't get any writing done, and b) my birthday is next Monday and I don't think I'm really going to be home until late, which means I won't have time to finish the chapter that I will inevitably leave until the last minute. My apologies.**

**That's about it for now. **

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	9. Chapter 9

"I am so ready for a break from school."

Everyone nodded in agreement to Alexa's statement as they filed into the Head's compartment on the train. Victoire settled herself beside Monica.

"You and me both, kid," Monica said, "No boys. Well, no boys except Louis and Vic's dad, who really don't count. Actually, allow me to correct myself: no boys except those two until the twenty-third, and even then, very few boys."

"Are you okay, Mon?" Victoire asked.

"Totally fine," Monica said, grinning.

"You're taking the whole breakup thing very well," Jade said.

"I live for the single life," Monica said, "I can look at whoever I want, flirt with whoever I want… I'm loving this."

"Always look on the bright side," Molly said, "Besides, it's not like Vic and I are regularly surrounded by boys. Monica is hardly left alone all the time."

"Precisely," Monica said, "Besides, I've got friends who put me before their boyfriends every once in a while. I'm totally good."

"Every once in a while?" Alexa asked, "Merlin, Monica, I'm hurt. You already know that I'd marry you if I could."

"I know, it's such a shame that you're all wrapped up in that one over there," Monica said, shaking her head.

Liam gaped at her. "You two- _what_?"

"Oh, didn't we tell you?" Monica asked, "Lex and I are in love."

"Best friend love anyway," Alexa said, laughing, "I wouldn't leave you like that, Liam, don't worry. You're safe. I think."

"I mean, who wouldn't love me?" Monica asked.

Victoire rolled her eyes. "You are all completely and utterly mental."

"We're no worse than you are," Chelsea said, "It's the only reason that you're capable of spending time with us, you know."

"I'm fortunate to know people who share my level of insanity, yes," Victoire said, "Now, let's discuss holiday plans. Monica, you're coming back to my house with me."

"That I am," Monica said.

"Why?" Nick asked, "Don't you need to see your family?"

"I'm going home on the twenty-third," Monica said, "The crazy cousins from Miami got in yesterday and I cannot put up with them until after New Year's. My head will explode."

"I see," Nick said.

"Liam and I are spending a couple days with Nick and Chelsea," Jack said, "Then I'm off to my house."

"I'm going to Alexa's for a couple of days after I leave their house," Liam said, "Then home to the family."

"Jake and I are both going home," Jade said.

"And Molly, you're going home because your dad doesn't know about Sam," Victoire said, "Then we're all going to the Christmas party and the party for New Year's. Anyone doing anything else?"

There were murmurs of denial from everyone.

"So we're all going to be seeing a lot of each other then," Alexa said, "That's good."

"And remember, we're doing the gag gift exchange on Christmas Eve," Molly said, "Don't forget to bring a stupid present. You all know who you're meant to be shopping for."

"Yes ma'am," Monica said.

"Come prepped for massive snowball fights as well," Victoire said, "It's tradition."

"Heard and understood," Alexa said.

"Excellent," Victoire said.

The rest of the train ride was filled with their standard tradition of playing Exploding Snap, and when they arrived at the platform, there was a good deal of hugging. Eventually, Victoire and Monica got their trunks and exited the train to find Bill and Fleur.

They were standing near the barrier with Louis, who was talking animatedly about his first few months at Hogwarts. Victoire and Monica were greeted with hugs and wide smiles.

"You're looking good," Bill said, smiling, "The last few months have been good to both of you, then?"

"Great," Victoire said, "It's nice to be getting a break from everything though."

"I will never say no to a holiday," Monica said, "Ever. Especially halfway through the school year."

"Where's Dom, anyway?" Victoire asked.

Fleur shrugged. "We 'ave not seen her."

"I literally saw her with Mari and Alannah twenty minutes ago," Victoire said, "They were sitting in their compartment playing Exploding Snap like the rest of us. She can't have gone far. It never takes her this long to get over here though."

"Maybe she's saying goodbye to people," Monica said, "And she doesn't want you lot to know who they are."

Victoire shook her head. "Nah, Dom's not like that. She probably just got caught up talking to Oliver about Quidditch or something."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Bill said.

Dom came hurrying towards them a moment later, dragging her trunk behind her.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, "I was talking to Alannah and Oliver about Quidditch."

"See, I told you," Victoire said, "Can we go home now?"

Bill reached out with both of his hands. Victoire grabbed one, and Monica grabbed the other as Fleur did the same with Dom and Louis. With a loud crack, they Disapparated, reappearing outside of Shell Cottage.

"I will make 'ot chocolate," Fleur said.

"Thanks a million, Mum," Victoire said, kissing her mother on the cheek before leading Monica up the stairs. They dropped Monica's things off in the guest bedroom and then went into Victoire's room.

"You have such a nice view," Monica said, looking out the window at the ocean.

"Yeah, but it's also freezing," Victoire said, "Still, I missed it a lot. Hogwarts is lovely, but this is home."

"Not for much longer though, am I right?" Monica asked, lying down on Victoire's bed.

Victoire paused where she was folding a shirt and stared at Monica. "Sorry?"

"You're going to move in with Teddy once we finish school," Monica said, "Or am I completely wrong about that?"

"I mean, I will at some point, but I don't know if I will immediately following seventh year," Victoire said, "I'm not really in the mood to rush things, you know? We've still got a lot of time to sort everything out and do things like move in together, so I'm not going to push it right now."

"Understandable," Monica said, "Now please explain to me why someone always ends up breaking up with their boyfriend right before the winter holidays?"

Victoire shrugged. "I've got absolutely no idea. New year, new beginnings, maybe? And if you don't mind my asking, you said you weren't really feeling it with Ben anymore, but that can't have been your only reason for splitting up with him, so was there something else?"

"I don't know," Monica said, rolling over to stare at the ceiling, "Ben's really sweet, and I do like him, he just… Ours was a very typical relationship, and this is me. I don't really do typical, you know? I already stick out purely because I'm American at a British school, but my personality has never been something that let me hide and not express myself. He liked the idea of me more than he liked who I am, if you understand what I'm saying."

"He liked the you that everyone sees, not who you are," Victoire said, "I get it. Although, if it helps, I like the you that only we see, because she's pretty wonderful."

Monica smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," Victoire said. She folded the last of her clothes and put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll have to repack everything before we go back to school, but I think it's time I switched out some of my clothes for the second half of the year."

"I'm definitely looking forward to doing that once I get home," Monica said, "Thanks for letting me stay with you though, dealing with my cousins isn't something that I love."

"So you've said," Victoire said, grinning and lying down on the bed as well, "Remind me again why you don't like them?"

"Well, I do like them, but they're just hard to deal with," Monica said, "Carissa is nice, but she's obsessed with boys. As in, her entire identity is centered around them, and I am forced to listen to her recount tales about her newest boyfriend any time we are alone and in the same room. There's nothing wrong with that, but it can get a little bit annoying after you've heard the same story four times. Bobby is just completely hyperactive, and he's so young that he hasn't quite gotten control of his magic yet, so something always ends up exploding when he's around. Stacy is… Let's just say, she looks at you and you feel like the entire world has gone cold, she's so disapproving of things."

"Fortunately my family is mad, but in the good way," Victoire said, "I don't blame you for wanting to get away from them for a little while. I must say that I'm really looking forward to Christmas."

Monica grinned. "You'll get to see your _boyfriend_."

"He's not my boyfriend," Victoire said, flushing, "We're… Not labeled."

"It's better that way," Monica said, "Now, how much do you want to bet that Liam will ask Alexa to marry him before we leave next year?"

Victoire shook her head. "He won't. They've both got their plans and while I know that marriage is worked in there eventually, it's not even mentioned until somewhere around Alexa turning twenty-three."

"Like you and Teddy then," Monica said.

"Basically," Victoire said, "Shall we go see if the hot chocolate is ready?"

"Sounds good to me," Monica said, "I'm kind of cold right now."

"Me too," Victoire said.

They left Victoire's room and went downstairs to the kitchen. Fleur was pouring steaming cups of hot chocolate when they entered. Dom had already claimed one and was sitting at the table by the window, blowing on it. Louis darted in behind Victoire and took a cup for himself before disappearing into the living room.

Victoire got a cup and sat down across from Dom, Monica joining them a moment later. "So, how are things, Dom?"

Dom shrugged. "They're things."

"That's not very descriptive," Monica said, "Anything exciting happen? Any boys in your life? Is there any good gossip at all?"

"Not really," Dom said. She grinned at Monica. "Like I'd tell you anyway, you'd have a field day with it."

"Exactly, that's why I want you to tell me," Monica said. She pouted. "Can't you tell me anything?"

"Nope," Dom said, lifting her cup to her lips.

"You mean to say that absolutely nothing interesting has gone on since the last time you and I had a good talk?" Victoire asked.

Dom set her cup on the table. "Well, I wouldn't saying nothing interesting, but it's not important enough for me to tell you at the moment. You'll find out eventually."

"What is it with everyone and saying 'you'll find out eventually'?" Victoire asked, "I mean, I've done my fair share of it, but Merlin it's annoying to hear from other people."

"Now you know how we feel," Dom said, "Are you excited about Teddy coming back?"

Victoire nodded. "Obviously. It's been a while, I'm looking forward to seeing him again."

"You two are friends again?" Fleur asked. Victoire turned to see her mother raise her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Victoire said, "We talked about everything and decided that we were being stupid, so we're back to being best mates. We've mostly just been writing each other, although he did come back to visit with all of us during the first Hogsmeade weekend."

"We were all really happy to see him," Monica said, "He's a friend to all of us, and we've all missed him a lot. It'll be good to see him when he gets back from Australia."

"I didn't see him when I was here," Dom said, making a face, "The boy's practically my older brother and he didn't even bother to come and say hello."

"We were keeping him occupied," Monica said, "We didn't even think about it, to be honest. Sorry, Dom."

Dom rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, of course you are."

"'ow is Danny doing?" Fleur asked.

Victoire smacked her forehead with her hand. "I really should start writing home more often, shouldn't I? He and I split up. His childhood sweetheart moved back to England and they were so clearly in love with each other that I broke up with him and essentially told them to get together. They're really happy, and he's still my friend. He's a better friend than boyfriend, honestly. He was really sweet, but we're better this way."

"As long as you're both 'appy," Fleur said.

Victoire nodded. "We are."

"Dom, you really need to get a boyfriend," Monica said, "I need something to tease you about, and you're not giving me very much material to work with."

"That's been my plan this entire time," Dom said, "Why would I tell you anything if you're just going to make fun of me about it?"

"She has a point, Mon," Victoire said after taking a sip from her hot chocolate, "Why provide you with any information if it just means that we're going to be abused about it?"

"I don't abuse you guys that much," Monica said, "I don't appreciate this treatment, it's really quite unfair. You all judge me too much." She stuck her nose in the air.

Victoire laughed. "Yeah, you're so abused, Mon, it's terrible."

"I would just like to remind you that I have the power to ruin your life," Monica said, "Remember that."

"Point taken," Victoire said.

Dom looked at them, a confused expression on her face. "I don't think I will ever understand the two of you."

"Nobody does," Monica said, sighing, "It's quite sad, really."

"It really is," Victoire said. She grinned at the sight of Dom's expression. "Sorry, Dom, we can't help our insanity sometimes."

"More like all the time," Dom said. She stood up. "I have letters to write, I'll talk to you later."

"How do you have letters to write?" Victoire asked, "We literally got off the train less than two hours ago, you haven't been gone that long."

"I have people to talk to," Dom said, "That's all."

She left the room without another word. Victoire raised her eyebrows. "Alright, I'm confused, but that's okay."

"You and me both," Monica said, "Honestly."

They finished their hot chocolate and went into the living room.

Three hours later, they were in the middle of a heated game of wizard's chess. Louis leaned over Victoire's shoulder as she ordered the movement of one of her pawns.

"This is totally unfair," Monica said, "You guys play chess way more than we ever did when I was younger."

"Welcome to the Weasley family," Louis said, "Uncle Ron made sure we all learned how to play when we were three."

"And then forced us into regular matches until we went off to school," Victoire said, "He told us that no niece or nephew of his would be bad at wizard's chess if there was anything that he could do about it, seeing as he's really quite good."

"Rose and Hugo have it the worst though," Louis said, "Or maybe they have it the best. They beat him sometimes. I have no idea how, the man is brilliant when it comes to this game."

"He's brilliant when it comes to a lot of things," Victoire said.

"He wouldn't be the associate head of the Auror office if he wasn't brilliant," Monica said, "Maybe once, but not anymore."

"We've got some really intelligent family members," Victoire said, "Even if they do choose less than normal ways to show that intelligence."

"Life would be boring without Uncle George around," Louis said.

"It definitely would," Monica said.

Victoire grinned. "I'll say. Also, Mon… Check, and mate."

"Damn it," Monica said, "Weasleys…"

"Oh, don't say it like that, you know you love us," Victoire said, her smile widening, "I'm hungry, how about you?"

"I could eat something, yeah," Monica said.

"I vote we find food then," Victoire said.

Twenty minutes later, they sat at the kitchen table eating grilled cheese. Dom walked in and took a piece from Victoire's, popping it in her mouth and raising her eyebrows.

"Hey!" Victoire said, batting Dom's hands away as she reached for a second piece, "Don't you have letters to write or something?"

"Nope, took care of it," Dom said, "I want food."

"You're lucky I'm a nice sister," Victoire said, "There's one for you on the stove."

Dom's eyes lit up and she walked away to dump her grilled cheese onto a plate. When she came back, Victoire took a piece from it.

"I suppose that's fair," Dom said, pulling up a chair, "So, three more days then, huh Vic?"

"You mean until Teddy's back?" Victoire asked, "Yeah."

"I hope you're ready to spend a lot of time with me, Monica, because Vic's not going to be around much after he comes back," Dom said.

"Merlin," Monica said, "I might have to vacate the premises and go to Jade's or something if I'm going to be left alone with you. We'll kill each other."

"You probably have a bit of a point there," Dom said, "It's such a shame. I was looking forward to teasing you for a while. I'll just have to make fun of Vic when she comes home."

"He'll be staying at Nana Andromeda's until he goes to Uncle Harry's. I'm hardly going to end up living in a flat with him over the holidays," Victoire said, rolling her eyes, "You lot are getting ahead of yourselves. As in you're getting really, really far ahead of yourselves."

"Someone has to," Monica said, shrugging.

"I will hurt you both," Victoire said, fixing her eyes on Monica and Dom.

"How?" Monica said, "Need I mention that I'm the only one here who can legally do magic at the moment?"

"I hate you," Victoire said.

Monica grinned. "I know."

The rest of the day was fun and relaxing, a perfect way to start off a few weeks away from school. Victoire and Monica didn't end up going to bed until well past two in the morning, when Fleur came into Victoire's room and told them that they needed to be a little bit quieter.

The eighteenth and nineteenth went similarly, and on the twentieth, Victoire woke up just after eight in the morning. She pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and an oversized sweater before throwing her hair up into a ponytail. When she went downstairs, Bill and Fleur were in the kitchen.

"You're up early," Bill said.

Victoire shrugged. "I just felt like it today."

"Teddy's coming 'ome," Fleur said, smiling.

"You two are friends again?" Bill asked.

Victoire looked up from where she was buttering her toast. "We are, yeah. Since October."

"So I suppose that means he'll be around a lot until he leaves?" Bill asked.

"Probably," Victoire said, "Provided you're okay with that, of course."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Bill asked, "Teddy's a good kid."

"'e is 'ardly a child, Bill," Fleur said.

Bill rolled his eyes. "I've known the boy since he was in diapers. He'll always be a child to me, even if he is taller than I am now."

"I'm sure he'd love to hear that," Victoire said, sitting down at the table.

"He's heard it from everyone already," Bill said, "I'm sure he's used to it by now. Do you know what time he's getting back?"

Victoire shook her head. "He didn't say. Actually, I don't even know if he knows that Uncle Harry told me he was coming back today. He might be thinking that he can surprise me at some point, so I figured I might as well just get up and be ready for it."

"Knowing him, he probably would do something like that," Bill said, "Well, if you two end up leaving, just let one of us know."

"It's okay if Monica's here even if I'm not, right?" Victoire asked, "I'm not going to abandon her or anything, but if she wants to stay behind…"

"It's fine," Bill said, "We trust your friends. Well, we trust them most of the time."

"Not even I trust them all the time," Victoire said, "In fact, I probably trust them less than everyone else we know does. I love them all, but they're mental."

"What are you saying about me?"

Victoire looked at the doorway. Monica was standing there, her arms crossed. The wide smile on her face betrayed her, and she walked into the kitchen.

"I was saying that all of my friends are mental," Victoire said.

"I suppose that's true, yeah," Monica said, "After breakfast I suggest that we do something so that you're not sitting around waiting for Teddy to show up."

"We could go for a walk or something," Victoire said, "It'll be cold, but it's really pretty out here during the winter."

"It's pretty out here all the time, Vic," Monica said, "That sounds good to me though. I just need to eat first."

"I need to finish eating anyway, we're good," Victoire said.

After they finished breakfast, they pulled on boots and coats. Victoire pulled on a thick hat and gloves as well, and shut the door behind Monica once they were outside.

"It's gorgeous, seeing this place with the snow," Monica said, "I wish I lived somewhere like this. You're lucky to have the ocean right at your doorstep."

"Sometimes," Victoire said, "Other time it just makes things really uncomfortable. When it storms, it's the worst. Things are worse here because we're so close to the ocean, so we get hit before the weather has time to spread out and lose some of its intensity. I swear, the cottage would be in the ocean already if it weren't for magic."

"Magic is really useful, definitely," Monica said, "I can't really imagine life without it."

"That's because you don't have to," Victoire said, "Which is pretty lucky, if you ask me."

"I agree," Monica said.

They continued to walk, their path taking them up onto the bluff. Victoire paused in front of Dobby's grave for a moment, and then continued on. They wound their way around the cottage, talking aimlessly about anything that came to mind, and headed back inside shortly after noon.

"Anything yet?" Victoire called, stamping her boots on the rug just inside the front door.

"Not yet," Dom called from the living room, "Mum and Dad would've sent me running out to get you if there had been, so I don't think that you need to worry about it. Remember, Uncle Harry never specified when they'd be back, so it could very well be at seven o'clock tonight."

"I know," Victoire said, "I can still hope it'll be sooner though."

"What do we do now?" Monica asked, following Victoire into the living room, "We went for a walk, you and I have played chess about a million times since I got here, we spent almost the entire train ride back to London playing Exploding Snap, so there's really no point in doing that…"

Victoire shrugged. "I have no idea."

"No idea" turned out to be passing a piece of parchment in circles in an attempt to write the most ridiculous story that any of them had ever heard. Louis joined in halfway through, and they ended up with three and a half feet of parchment by the time they were done.

"I wish I could write essays this quickly," Monica said, eyeing the rolls of parchment that they had set on the table, "My life would be a million and one times easier."

Victoire nodded. "I'll say." She glanced out the window and Monica groaned.

"Vic, it's only seven, and he could be running a bit late. We still need to eat dinner anyway. Don't worry about it. He'll show up."

"I guess you're right," Victoire said.

They sat down to dinner fifteen minutes later.

Afterward, Victoire and Monica elected to work on some of the few assignments that they had for the holiday. At a quarter past eleven, Monica yawned and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late, alright?"

"Yeah," Victoire said, not looking up from where she was copying down notes for potions.

The clock hit midnight, and then one, two, three in the morning.

At a quarter before four she gave up and went to her room.

It was with tears threatening to pour down her cheeks that she curled up under the blankets to try and sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm the worst.**

**Don't worry, I'm not planning on breaking them up any time soon, but this is necessary for story development. Just because they're not having relationship troubles doesn't mean that everything is great in the world. It just means that Teddy and Victoire are together.**

**But I think I deserve a medal for updating earlier than three minutes before midnight as I have been lately- this time it's two and a half hours before midnight ;)**

**I'm going to go continue my education in How I Met Your Mother, which I just started watching this afternoon.**

**Until next time!**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	10. Chapter 10

The few days that passed after the disaster of the twentieth didn't do much to improve Victoire's outlook on life. Dominique wouldn't tell anyone who it was that she was writing to all the time, and Teddy still hadn't showed up when Monica left on the twenty-third.

"Vic, I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for why he wasn't here," Monica said, "Don't get angry with him before you find out what happened, it's not going to do either of you any good. You'll work yourself up and he'll have to go to a ton of trouble to start explaining what happened, when you could both save yourself the effort and just let him talk before you react."

"So you're saying I'm overreacting then," Victoire said.

Monica hugged her and sighed. "Honey, no, I'm just saying that you need to let him talk before you get mad, alright? He loves you, you know that, and I hate seeing you beat yourself up about this when you don't even know why he wasn't here."

"I guess you're right," Victoire said, "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Definitely," Monica said, "Honestly though, Vic, give him a chance first. Love you loads, and see you."

With that, she tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fire, stepped in, and disappeared.

Early in the evening of the twenty-fourth, Victoire stood in front of her wardrobe eyeing the shelves of clothing. She eyed a pair of jeans for a while before shaking her head and turning her gaze to the black dress that hung on the back of the door. It was simple, with long sleeves and a scoop neck, but its skirt was what made it special.

"Try it on, Vic," Alexa had said, thrusting it into her hands as they stood inside a favorite Muggle clothing store of theirs, "I think it does the thing."

For some people, the thing might have seemed silly or not important, but having a dress with a skirt that made a perfect circle upon spinning was one of the simplest pleasures in life according to Victoire and her friends (Ask any girl that likes to wear dresses or skirts. The thing is incredible, and if they don't say it is, they're doing it wrong).

She stripped out of her pajamas and pulled on the dress, tugging on the skirt until it rested properly against her legs. After tugging a brush through her hair, she threw it up into a ponytail.

"Vic, can I borrow your–" Dom entered the room and stopped. "Nope, we're not doing this."

"What?" Victoire asked.

"You are not going to walk into that party looking like you'd rather be at home in your pajamas," Dom said, "I don't care if you would or not. I know you're disappointed about the fact that Teddy didn't come back when he was supposed to, but you're Victoire Weasley. You're part Veela. Every girl there is going to envy you if I have anything to say about it. Sit down."

She sat Victoire in a chair in front of the mirror and undid the ponytail.

"You really don't have to do this, Dom," Victoire said, as Dom began to brush her hair.

"Yes I do," Dom said, "You've been feeling awful the last few days. I may be younger than you are, but I'm not blind. I know you love him, and I know that you two decided to be more than friends when he was here visiting. You should really check to make sure there's no one nearby while discussing those things in the common room, I don't know if you ever thought about that. Regardless, you're Victoire Weasley. You're a Weasley woman. You don't need Teddy, and tonight you're going to prove that to everyone."

"You're right," Victoire said.

Dom grinned. "It happens sometimes. Anyway, make sure that you bring clothes for the inevitable snowball fight, or we're going to have a problem on our hands."

"I will," Victoire said.

Dom fixed a rhinestone clip in Victoire's hair and started on her makeup. "You're hardly the only one whose boyfriend isn't around anyway."

Victoire froze. "Dom, were you ever going to tell me, or were you determined to make me suffer?"

"I'm still not telling you who it is," Dom said, "All I'm telling you is that I have one. You'll find out eventually, but given the circumstances I figured I shouldn't bring it up."

"You can't dangle something like that in front of me and then not tell me who it is," Victoire said, "At least tell me if I know the guy."

"You do know him," Dom said, "Not well, but you do know him."

"That narrows it down so much," Victoire said, "Now I'm going to be wondering about who it is all night."

"At least it'll keep your mind off of everything else," Dom said.

"I suppose you're right," Victoire said.

"It has been known to happen sometimes," Dom said. "All done, I didn't do much. I only touched up your dark circles and put some life back into your cheeks since you've been walking around looking like an Inferius since the twentieth."

"Do you have to keep bringing it up?" Victoire asked, "But point taken."

"Here, shoes," Dom said. She handed a pair of red heels to Victoire, who put them on and stood.

"Ready to go?" Victoire asked.

"Completely," Dom said.

Victoire shouldered the bag that held a few different sets of clothes and followed Dom out of the room and downstairs. Bill and Fleur stood in front of the fireplace with Louis. They offered the bowl of Floor powder to Victoire and Dom, and soon enough, the entire family was dusting off their clothes in the kitchen of Potter Manor.

"Victoire!"

Victoire laughed as Ginny hugged her. "Hi, Aunt Ginny."

"You look so nice," Ginny said, stepping back to look at Victoire, "We just need Percy and Charlie and then all of the Weasleys will be here. I hope you're excited."

"Of course I am," Victoire said, "You know I love the parties."

"I might join you lot for the snowball fight later," Ginny said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I know we invite them for the sake of politics, but I get a bit tired being around the stuffy old Ministry representatives. The rest of the party is much more fun, and besides, sometimes I feel more like one of the cousins than your old aunt."

"You're hardly old," Victoire said, "You're barely more than thirty."

"That may be true, but it doesn't change the fact that I feel old," Ginny said, "You lot remind me of what it was like to be at Hogwarts, and I do miss it a lot sometimes. Enough about me though, how have things been for you?"

"Decent," Victoire said, "There have been a few disappointments, but school's been going well."

"That's good," Ginny said, "Sam has kept me informed about your Quidditch successes as well. I must say, I was quite pleased to hear about the team's progress this year. You'll get the Cup again. Liam has built an excellent team this year."

"He really has," Victoire said.

"Have no fear, the greatest cousin ever is here."

"Really, Molls?" Victoire asked, turning to face her cousin, who was busily dusting ash off of her sweater. "That rhyme might be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. You know I don't play favorites."

Molly grinned. "Give me a hug."

Victoire did as she was told. "You smell like cinnamon."

"Mum gave me a Christmas-themed perfume this morning," Molly said, rolling her eyes, "I thought I'd humour her."

"I like it," Victoire said.

"I like the dress," Molly said, "It does the thing, doesn't it?"

"Oh, it definitely does the thing," Victoire said.

"You'll have to show me later," Molly said, "I want the full effect, with the lights and the garlands and all of that in the ballroom."

"Victoire! Molly!"

Victoire and Molly leaned down in unison and hoisted Lily up between them.

"Hey, Lil," Victoire said, squeezing her cousin with one arm, "How are you?"

Lily's face broke into a wide smile. "Really good!"

"Excellent," Molly said, helping Victoire to lower Lily slowly to the floor, "Say, do you know when everyone else is meant to start arriving?"

Lily looked at the clock on the wall. "Uh… In about twenty minutes, I think."

"Brilliant," Molly said.

"We all know you're excited about it, Molls," Victoire said, "Well, most of us know it. You still haven't told your dad, have you?"

"Of course not," Molly said, "He'd kill me."

"Why would Uncle Percy kill you?" Lily asked, "Did you do something bad?"

Molly and Victoire exchanged a glance. Molly chuckled. "Not technically, Lil. You'll understand once you're at school."

"Everyone says that," Lily said, crossing her arms, "I want to go."

"You've got a year and some and then you'll be going," Victoire said.

"Yeah, but you two won't be there," Lily said.

"We'll visit," Molly said.

"You promise?" Lily asked.

"We swear," Victoire said, "We wouldn't be very good cousins if we never came to see you at school, would we? Besides, I'll have to check on Dom and Louis, and I'm sure Molls will want to make sure Lucy is behaving herself. We'll stop by sometimes."

"Good," Lily said.

Fifteen minutes later, someone hugged Victoire from behind.

"Really, Lexa?" Victoire asked, turning around, "Again?"

Alexa shrugged. "It's the best way to make sure that you know it's me."

"I suppose," Victoire said, "Where's Liam?"

"They're on their way," Alexa said, "He Flooed me ten minutes before I left. His mum and sister were still getting ready, but they should be here soon. Are you excited for the snowball fight?"

"Obviously," Victoire said, "When am I not?" She caught the arm of Harry as he walked past them to go to the ballroom. "Say, Uncle Harry, Gianna wasn't invited this year, was she?"

"Of course not," Harry said, rolling his eyes, "Don't say a word to anyone, but I've never liked the girl, not even before she transferred from your Aunt Hermione's department to mine."

"You're sane then," Victoire said, "Good to know."

Harry chuckled. "The party is safe, Vic. I promise."

"It's nice to know that someone has some sense," Victoire said.

"You know, I never liked that girl," Alexa said, shaking her head.

Victoire laughed. "I know, Lexa. None of us do."

"Where's Molly, anyway?" Alexa asked.

"She had to use the bathroom," Victoire said, "She should be back any minute. Shall we go to the ballroom?"

"Sounds good to me," Alexa said, "Also, I approve of the dress."

"You're the one who told me to try it on," Victoire said, "Regardless, I'm glad you like it."

"Anyone who doesn't is completely mad," Alexa said, "It looks great, and I told you it would do the thing."

"You were right," Victoire said, leading Alexa to the ballroom, "I feel so fancy."

"It's a perfectly appropriate dress for the occasion," Alexa said, "It's pretty, but it's not 'this isn't a family party' if that makes any sense."

"I completely understand what you're saying," Victoire said, "I felt the same." She stopped in the doorway to the ballroom. "For the love of Merlin, this is beautiful."

"It is," Alexa said, her eyes wide.

The ballroom was glowing with lights. The chandeliers that hung from the high, vaulted ceiling were draped with garlands of evergreen branches, and fairy lights twinkled on the mantles of the fireplaces that lined the walls of the room. Each corner held a tall, decorated Christmas tree. Outside the windows and doors, the patio and grounds were blanketed with perfectly white snow that sparkled in the light from the ballroom.

"They outdo themselves every year," Victoire said, stepping into the ballroom, "Either that or I'm so busy running around with you lot that I've never really stopped to look before."

"It could really be either one of those things," Alexa said, "Somehow I have a feeling that it's both though."

"I agree," Victoire said, "Definitely."

"And I'm back."

"Hey Molly," Victoire said without turning around.

"I brought a friend. Well, two."

Victoire spun to see Monica and Jade. She hugged both of them.

"You look incredible, Vic," Monica said, "I still approve the decision to buy that dress."

"I'm glad," Victoire said, "You two look wonderful. Jade, I love the dress."

Jade laughed. "I figured a green dress would be appropriate, given my name and the holiday."

"Definitely," Alexa said, "Now, I know one of us has a secret boyfriend and she can't exactly be with him all night for that reason, but I propose that we all dance together for a while. Jade and I don't need to be glued to Jake and Liam all night, and I want this to be fun. It's Christmas Eve, not couple's night."

"That doesn't come until midnight," Monica said, grinning.

"Sounds wonderful to me," Victoire said.

"I like this plan," Jade said.

"Me too," Molly said.

"Well, the pairs have approved, so it looks like we have our plan," Monica said, "We should be getting some music any minute now."

Sure enough, as soon as the first guest who wasn't a close friend appeared, music filled the ballroom. Victoire grabbed Alexa and they began to waltz around the room, laughing the entire time. Jade and Monica joined them. Molly pulled Dom out onto the floor when she entered the room, and the six girls spun around the room as more guests arrived.

"You're all incredible dancers, if I do say so myself."

Victoire dropped Alexa's hands and smiled. "Sam!"

She hugged him tightly. He chuckled and hugged her back. "Nice to know you're happy to see me."

"You're my friend, of course I'm happy to see you," Victoire said, "Come dance! Lexa, Liam's on his way over here, I hope you don't mind me ditching you."

"Go ahead," Alexa said, smiling.

Victoire pulled Sam out onto the floor. They both grinned at Molly as they waltzed past her. Sam laughed.

"You're awfully happy."

"All my friends are here," Victoire said, "Well, not all, but most. Of course I'm happy. It's Christmas Eve. My dress does the thing. It would be stupid if I weren't happy."

"What's the thing that you speak of?" Sam asked.

Victoire looked around. "Everyone's here, I suppose I can show you. We have to get everyone together though."

They called all of their friends to a corner of the room. Jake kissed Victoire on the cheek when he saw her, and she grinned at him.

"Sam wants to see the thing, and the thing is very important, so I figured everyone should be witness to it," Victoire said, "Alexa, would you mind helping me?"

"No problem," Alexa said.

The music had changed to a lively swing, and they did a few steps before Alexa spun Victoire out. Her skirt flared up, revealing the tight black shorts she was wearing underneath for that very purpose, and she grinned as her friend applauded.

"I can see why you girls like that," Liam said, grinning, "I feel like I'm watching a princess."

Victoire bowed. "It's a very wonderful thing. Now, Monica, would you care to dance?"

Monica laughed. "Sounds good to me."

They joined the mass of dancing couples, and eventually, Monica spun Victoire out again. Victoire faced the door for a brief moment and froze halfway through her spin.

Teddy raised his hand in a brief gesture of hello, a small smile on his face. She turned and looked at Monica, who nodded. Victoire nodded back and walked out of the crowd towards the doorway. Teddy followed her down the hallway to the library. She waited until he was inside, and then pulled the doors shut. She crossed her arms when she faced him, and he tucked his hands into his pockets.

"What the _hell_, Teddy," Victoire said.

"I know, I'm sorry," Teddy said, removing a hand from his pocket to run his fingers through his hair. He looked around the room and then took a seat on a couch by the window. "Sit down while I explain, please."

She sighed and did as he asked. He pulled out his wand and flicked it, locking the doors. She raised her eyebrows. "Well?"

"Harry told me that he told you that I would be home on the twentieth," Teddy said, "I was supposed to be, but something came up, and I had to be there for it. There was a mission, and I can't divulge details, but let's just say that it was serious, and they needed me to be there. It's not an excuse, and I would have written, but we couldn't have any contact with anyone at home while we were on the mission, in case someone intercepted the owl and found out what we were doing. I wanted to be here with you, I swear. Please forgive me, Tori."

She looked at him for a few moments. He was staring at her, his hazel eyes wide and unblinking and his turquoise hair sticking up in all directions. She nodded eventually. "I forgive you, but Merlin, if you ever go on a mission again when you're meant to be coming home and you don't send me an owl before you leave just to let me know that you were called on something and won't be able to write me, I will kill you, Ted Remus Lupin."

"Heard and understood," Teddy said. He looked down at his hands, and then back to her. "You look absolutely beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you," she said. When he continued to watch her, she rolled her eyes. "Are you going to kiss me or not, you complete idiot?"

He smiled. "I was hoping you would ask. I didn't want to be a prat and do it without your permission."

"You could've asked too, you-"

He cut her off.

She slid closer to him as he kissed her, and smiled widely when he pulled away.

"I missed you so much," he murmured, taking her hands in his, "I really do think I annoyed Liv and Veronica even more after I got back from visiting you."

"Well, you're here now, and you'll be here for a little while, so let's just live in the moment while you are," Victoire said, "I'd rather not think about the fact that you're going back to Australia in a week or so."

"About that…" Teddy said.

Victoire's mouth dropped. "Wait, Teddy-"

"I don't have an exact date yet, before you get too excited," Teddy said, "But this is part of your Christmas present. Because I went on that mission, and it was successful, I get to come home early. Everyone that was on it does. We were supposed to stay until the end of May, but they've decided that we're experienced enough to come home and finish our training here. I'll be back somewhere around the end of January, which means that I have a week to go flat and furniture shopping before I have to go down for my last few weeks of training."

Victoire threw her arms around him. "I'm coming with you to look at everything."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "I figured as much."

They sat there for a while, content to be with each other, and then Teddy sighed. "We should probably return to the party. I'm keeping the prettiest girl here from everyone else, and that's not right of me. Plus, I haven't actually talked to any of our friends yet, and that includes Sam."

"As long as you promise you're going to stay by me all night," Victoire said.

Teddy smiled. "Of course I will. We've been apart for way too long. I'm not going anywhere you don't tell me to. Well, except for the bathroom."

Victoire rolled her eyes. "You're permitted to go to the bathroom. Shall we?"

He took her hand and kissed it. "Let's."

"You know, I was ready to kill you," Victoire said as he unlocked the doors.

"I figured as much," Teddy said, "I did deserve it a bit. Your dress is lovely, by the way."

"I'm glad you like it," Victoire said.

Teddy dropped her hand as they entered the ballroom. She made a face as he chuckled. They made their way over to their friends, and after Teddy had greeted everyone, he pulled Victoire aside. "There's someone I want you to meet, seeing as she's heard a lot about you."

"Okay," Victoire said, raising her eyebrows.

He led her out of the ballroom to the formal dining room. The table was lined with food, and a few couples were eating. She followed him to a window where a girl stood. Her blonde hair was curled into perfect ringlets, and she wore a deep red dress.

"Tori, meet Tatiana," Teddy said, "Tatiana, this is Victoire."

The girl turned around. Her grey eyes crinkled when she smiled. When she spoke, it was to reveal an Australian accent. "Victoire, it's so lovely to meet you. Teddy talks about you all the time."

Victoire smiled. "He mentioned you in his letters a few times."

"Tatiana's going to be returning here with those of us from the program when we come back," Teddy said, "She's here to do some flat shopping."

"I was born in London," Tatiana said, "My parents moved us to Australia shortly before they… Well, the point is, I'm looking forward to returning to the place where I was born."

"I'm sure," Victoire said.

"Vic! Teddy!"

Victoire turned to see Alexa standing in the doorway of the dining room. "Yeah, Lexa?"

"Snowball fight in twenty minutes," Alexa said, "Get dressed!" She turned and left.

"One dance first?" Teddy asked, looking at Victoire.

"I think that would be quite nice, yes," Victoire said, "Lovely to meet you, Tatiana."

"I'll see you," Teddy said, nodding to Tatiana, "Our snowball fight is a tradition. I would invite you to take part, but I doubt you've got the clothes for it, and as I said, it's a tradition." Tatiana's eyes had widened, but she smiled and nodded anyway. He looked at Victoire and bowed slightly. "Milady."

"Milord," she replied, curtsying. He took her hand and led her back to the ballroom. They joined the whirling mass of couples and began to waltz.

"I missed this," she murmured, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Me too," he said, "When we go flat shopping, I want your honest opinion. It's as much yours as it is mine, so we need to find a place that we both love, alright?"

"Whatever you say," she said, "Just to repeat myself, though… If you ever do something like this ever again, I will kill you. If you die on a mission that you didn't tell me you were going on, I will kill you a second time, and then haunt you in the afterlife once I die, understood? I hate worrying about you. I know I'm going to, but it just gets worse when I don't know where you are."

"I know," he said, "I was stupid, and I really am sorry about that." His voice dropped to a nearly inaudible whisper. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

"Good," he said, as the song ended, "Now, I propose that we go and change for the snowball fight. It wouldn't do if we weren't dressed properly."

She laughed. "No, it certainly wouldn't."

They parted to go upstairs. One of the few house elves had taken Victoire's bag up to the room she always stayed in, and she switched her dress in favor of jeans and a sweater. She pulled on her boots and a thick coat that had her hat and gloves stuffed in its pockets. When she went back to the kitchen, it was to see almost everyone standing there.

"Who are we waiting on?" she asked, pulling out her gloves and putting them on.

"Teddy and Molls," Monica said, "Sam is doing the waterproofing charm."

Victoire nodded and walked over to Sam. He waved his wand and murmured a few inaudible words. "There, now you don't have to worry about your clothes soaking through during the inevitable tacklings that are bound to occur."

"Great," she said, grinning, "We don't want me catching hypothermia, do we?"

"Of course not," Sam said.

Once Teddy and Molly arrived, they went outside to the lawn outside of the ballroom. After dividing up into teams, they began to fire snowballs at one another.

"This is the greatest," Alexa shouted as she dove sideways to avoid a snowball that Sam had thrown at her.

"I agree," Victoire yelled back.

When they finished throwing snow at one another, they went into the kitchen to find a pot of hot chocolate sitting on the stove. Ginny and Hermione were seated at the table having a conversation, and they looked up as their nieces, nephews, and respective friends came in.

"Have fun?" Ginny asked.

"That we did," Victoire said.

"Good," Hermione said, "It's never Christmas Eve until you've all had your snowball fight. Are you going to rejoin the party?"

"I'm not changing, but definitely," Victoire said.

"What she said," Molly said.

Ginny laughed. "I can't say I blame you for that. You're just in time though, we've only got twenty minutes until it's midnight."

Victoire ran up to her room and left her coat and boots there. She slipped on a pair of slippers and went back downstairs. A minute before midnight, Teddy pulled her into the library and shut the doors. They could hear the countdown from the ballroom, and as soon as it hit zero, Teddy kissed her.

She threaded her fingers into his hair, conscious of every place they were touching, and when he finally released her, she kept her hands locked around his neck.

"I really, really, _really_ missed you," she said.

"I can tell," he said, "Love you to the moon and back, Tori."

"To the moon and back," she replied, kissing him again.

They remained in the library until somebody knocked on the door. Teddy opened it to reveal Molly and Sam, the latter of whom was blushing slightly.

"I figured you two were the ones in here," Molly said, "Now go away, I need to have time with _my _secret boyfriend."

Victoire laughed and grabbed Teddy's hand. They exited the library and went back to the ballroom, where they began to dance with the rest of the couples.

"I've never danced in slippers before," Victoire said, "This is interesting."

"I'm sure it is," Teddy said, "Tomorrow's Christmas, but what would you say to the idea of coming with me the following day to look at a few flats? I've got two places lined up, and if you can find any others in the classifieds of the _Prophet_ before we go, we can add them to the list of prospects."

"I'd love to come," Victoire said, "Now, are we looking at one or two-bedroom?"

"Two," Teddy said, "Mostly so that when you come stay, your parents think that you're in the guest room, and also so that if I do have any of my other friends to spend the night, they have a place that isn't the couch."

"How close to London?" Victoire asked.

"Anything should really be fine," Teddy said, "The Floo network exists, so getting to the Ministry for work shouldn't be too difficult. I'd prefer something close to Hogwarts though, so that I'm close to Sam and all of you."

"Alright," Victoire said, "Well, I'm sure we can find something that we like."

"I have no doubts about that," Teddy said.

They continued to dance as the crowd around them began to diminish.

In Victoire's mind, it was the best Christmas Eve she had ever had.

* * *

**A/N:**

**See, I'm not completely the worst person ever. ****Teddy's back! **

******I'm not planning on sending him away again. He goes back to Australia for a few weeks and then he will return and that will be it (Obviously as an Auror he'll have missions and whatnot but I'm not planning on sending him out of the UK). I missed him and his wonderful hair. **

**Also, Tatiana has a purpose that will be revealed in time. She's not just a random character.**

**It's approximately a quarter past eight o'clock PM on Monday here, so I technically am on time with this update.**

**Now, in other news...**

**I am addicted to How I Met Your Mother and I ship Robin and Barney times a million. They are perfect and I love them.**

**I leave for a week of vacation on August 10 and will not have internet access that week. I will tweet, but that is because I can text Twitter. As a result, there will be no update that week. I will be on the beach having fun and getting sunburned because I'm super Irish and don't tan.**

**I see Mumford and Sons on August 29th, which I am very very very excited about, because I love them. **

**I go back to school for my final year of high school on August 27th.**

**Tomorrow, I begin my education in starting horses under saddle.**

**Life is good :3**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	11. Chapter 11

Christmas Day went much more smoothly than it had the previous year. Presents were opened, and the rest of the Weasley clan came over for dinner in the evening.

On the twenty-sixth, Victoire was just finishing her breakfast when she heard the sounds of conversation come from the living room.

"Have her back by a reasonable hour, alright?" Bill said, leading Teddy into the kitchen.

"Of course I will," Teddy said. "We're not looking at too many places today anyway." He looked at Victoire and smiled. "Ready?"

She ate the last piece of her toast and smiled back. "I am now."

After she put her plate in the sink and got her coat, they went outside. She wrapped her hands around Teddy's arm, and with a loud crack, they Disapparated.

They appeared in an alley in wizarding London. Teddy put his hands on Victoire's waist and kissed her swiftly. "I needed to do that."

She grinned. "And you very well couldn't do it where my dad might've seen. Where are we going first?"

Teddy reached out to touch the bricks of the building to his right. "The flat is in this building, but we'll have to wait out front for the real estate agent to arrive in order to get in."

"We should probably go up front then, shouldn't we?" Victoire asked.

"Yeah, probably," Teddy said.

He led the way out of the alley. They stood in front of the building watching people hurry past. Everyone was dressed in hats, scarves, and thick coats. Their breath formed white clouds against the frigid air as they walked down the street. Wreaths adorned the front doors and windows of many of the buildings, and many people were still wearing red and green. Victoire smiled at the sight of a young girl tugging on her father's hand as the family of three passed the building where they stood.

"You must be Teddy Lupin."

Victoire shook her head to clear it and looked at Teddy. He shook hands with the dark-haired woman who stood in front of them. "Yes, I am."

"My name is Vivian Alcox, and I'll be showing you around today," she said.

"Thank you for taking the time to do this, Ms. Alcox," Teddy said.

"Call me Vivian," she said. "Now, if you'd follow me."

She walked up the few steps in front of the building and touched the tip of her wand to the door. It clicked open. She pushed it inside and led them out of the cold and into the lobby of the building.

"The front door of the building is keyed to your wand," she said. "You'll be able to set your own keyword for the flat itself, or choose to have a regular key. You can request a day's access for family members or friends through your flat, which will allow them to open the front door the same way that you do. If you give them the keyword for the flat, they will have regular access, just as you do."

She led them up a circular flight of stairs to the first floor. They walked down a hallway past a few doors, and stopped at the furthest on the right. Vivian cleared her throat.

"My name is Vivian Alcox and I am here to give a tour of the flat."

The door opened. She led Victoire and Teddy inside and shut the door behind them.

"This flat is a two bedroom, with one bath, a kitchen, and a combination living and dining room. All furniture is for display only and will not come with the flat, though the kitchen and bathroom will be fully equipped," Vivian said. "Feel free to look around, and if you have any questions, just ask."

Victoire and Teddy wandered through the flat, looking into various rooms. After looking at everything, they stopped inside the larger of the two bedrooms.

"This isn't it," Victoire said.

"I agree," Teddy said. "It doesn't feel right."

"It feels like someone else's flat," Victoire said. "I couldn't see you – or me – living here."

"Me either," Teddy said. "I suppose we should go tell her and take a look at the next one."

They walked back out to the living room, where Vivian stood waiting at the door.

"Thoughts?" she asked as they approached.

"It's nice, but it's not quite what I'm looking for," Teddy said. "Can we go to the next flat?"

Vivian nodded. "I have to lock up here, but I'll meet you outside the next building on your list."

Teddy led Victoire out of the flat, down the stairs, and back outside. She clutched his arm again, and they Disapparated to another area of wizarding London.

"Is every flat we're looking at today in London?" Victoire asked.

"Except for two in Hogsmeade, all the ones that we're going to look at are in London," Teddy said.

"I see," Victoire said. "You know, Teddy, I've been thinking."

"What about?" Teddy asked.

"You mentioned how you wouldn't mind living in Hogsmeade, because you'd be closer to us, and to Sam, but…" Victoire bit her lip. "I just think that I'm going to be leaving school in a year and a half, and when I leave, I want to do it properly and all the way, not move in somewhere down the hill, you know? I feel like if I'm going to go, I have to _go_."

Teddy smiled. "I understand. I was actually thinking about that myself. Part of this is about moving on from that chapter of my life, and I can't really do that if I'm living right by Hogwarts."

"So we're in agreement then?" Victoire asked. "We can still look at the Hogsmeade flats, but I'd rather not consider them."

"I agree," Teddy said. "Who knows, we might find the perfect flat today and then we won't have to look at the others."

"I suppose it could happen," Victoire said. "However unlikely that may be."

Vivian appeared a moment later. She pulled her wand out of her pocket and tapped it on the front door of the building.

"All of the buildings that we're looking at today have the same locking system as the last one," she said. "It's a common system for flat owners because it's easy and secure. Now, if you would follow me again."

She led them inside. They went up two flights of stairs and through the first door on their left. Victoire immediately noticed that the flat was smaller than the last one they had been in. She and Teddy wandered around again, looking at every room.

"This isn't it," Teddy said.

"That's what I was thinking," Victoire said.

They rejoined Vivian. She took one look at their faces and smiled. "I expected as much. We've had a bit of trouble finding someone to rent this flat. It always sounds nicer than it actually is, and then people come to look at it and realize it's not what they were looking for. On to the next one, then."

The third flat that they looked at was just the same. They said goodbye to Vivian and Apparated to Diagon Alley, where they had lunch.

They were halfway through their meal when someone approached them.

"Teddy? Victoire?"

Teddy looked up and smiled. "Tatiana!"

"I hope I'm not intruding," she said. "I just noticed you were here and thought I would come and say hello."

"Pull up a chair," Teddy said. He glanced at Victoire. "That is, as long as Tori is okay with it."

"It's totally fine," Victoire said.

Tatiana smiled and got a chair from an empty table nearby. She sat down and looked at them. "What are you two doing here?"

"Looking at flats," Teddy said.

"Both of you?" Tatiana asked.

"Not quite," Victoire said, smiling. "Teddy just wanted my opinion since we're really good friends and he has no taste."

"I resent that," Teddy said.

"But it's true," Victoire said.

"That must mean that I have no taste in friends then, huh?" Teddy asked.

"Okay, you got me there," Victoire said.

Tatiana laughed. "You two are funny. How long have you known each other?"

"Since she was born, basically," Teddy said. "Her uncle is my godfather and we all went to visit her parents in the hospital right after she was born. I've been told we hit it off immediately."

"Yeah, there was never any question about whether or not we would be friends," Victoire said.

"It shows," Tatiana said. "Are you looking forward to coming back to England, Teddy?"

"I am, yeah," Teddy said. "My whole family's here, and my best friends. It'll be good to be home."

"You're still at school, right Victoire?" Tatiana asked.

"Yeah," Victoire said. "I'm in my second-to-last year right now."

"What do you want to do when you leave?" Tatiana asked.

Victoire smiled. "I want to be an Auror. So does my friend Alexa. We're going to join Teddy in his quest to rid the world of evil."

"I'm hardly on a quest to rid the world of evil, Tori," Teddy said. "That's Harry's job."

"If you ask me, I think he's had enough of that to last him a lifetime," Victoire said.

"You're probably right," Teddy said. "Things have been very quiet for him, and I'm sure he's pleased with that too."

"After the years at school that he had, I'm sure he is," Victoire said.

"This is your uncle?" Tatiana asked, looking at Victoire. "The one who stopped Voldemort?"

Victoire nodded. "Yeah, Uncle Harry's the Head of the Auror Department. Uncle Ron is his second in command, and Aunt Hermione is the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which is a different thing. They just couldn't find it in themselves to stop fighting completely after Voldemort fell."

"It's the only thing they knew how to do," Teddy said. "I mean, sure, they went to school, but they fought him or something related to him every year. It would be a bit strange to just stop fighting all of a sudden. Besides, they're the righteous types."

"They are, yeah," Victoire said. "Gryffindor courage and all of that."

"It sounds like you have an interesting family," Tatiana said.

"I don't know if interesting is the right word, but yeah, I do," Victoire said. "So what are you hoping to accomplish by moving here? I know you said that you were originally from here, but that can't be the only reason why you're moving back."

"You caught me, it isn't," Tatiana said. "There was some unfinished business that my family had, and I'm going to take care of it. I also hope to work with the Ministry here. There are always things to be learned from other countries, and I'm hoping that I'll pick up some skills that I couldn't get in Australia. Britain has experienced Dark wizards much more frequently than we have down under, so your techniques are different than ours are."

"I can vouch for that," Teddy said.

"I suppose that makes sense," Victoire said. "Have you found a flat?"

Tatiana shook her head. "I'll be looking once I move up here at the end of the program. I have a family friend that I'll stay with if the search takes too long, but I'll spend my first couple of weeks in a hotel room somewhere – Perhaps at the Leaky Cauldron again."

"Oh, is that where you're staying now?" Victoire asked.

"It is, yes," Tatiana said.

"It's a good place," Teddy said.

"It is, yeah," Victoire said. "The wife of our Herbology teacher is the landlady."

"Hannah? She's lovely," Tatiana said.

"She is," Teddy said. "Both of the Longbottoms are, actually. So are their children."

"They're a great family," Victoire said. "Neville is practically an uncle to us. He fought really closely with our family against Voldemort, so we're all really close to him."

"Does your family know everyone?" Tatiana asked.

Victoire laughed. "Not quite, but we've got a lot of relatives, so sometimes it feels like we do."

"She means it when she says the family is large," Teddy said. "Her dad has six siblings, and there are a _lot_ of Weasleys, plus five Potters who are technically Weasleys, four Longbottoms, four Scamanders, four Jordans… The list goes on."

"What he said," Victoire said.

"Your family really is large," Tatiana said.

"That is an understatement," Victoire said.

They sat and talked to Tatiana for a while longer, and then headed back to Shell Cottage. Teddy came in to join Victoire for a while, but he was drawn into a game of wizard's chess by Louis.

"You're going to lose," Victoire said as she leaned over Teddy's shoulder to watch the match.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Tori," Teddy said.

"I'm just stating facts," Victoire said.

"You should listen to her, she's right," Dom said. She was watching over Louis's shoulder.

"What, is it beat-up-on-Teddy time right now?" Teddy asked.

"They're just stating the truth, mate," Louis said.

"You've definitely been at Hogwarts for too long," Teddy said. "This is the first time you've called me mate. Most people don't adopt that until their fourth year at the earliest."

"Louis is a special case," Dom said.

"If you say so," Teddy said.

Louis moved his queen. "Check, and mate."

"How did you do that?" Teddy asked.

Louis shrugged. "Uncle Ron taught me."

As the two boys began to have an intense conversation about chess plays, Victoire and Dom withdrew to the couch. Dom pulled an envelope out of the pocket of her jumper and began to read the letter inside.

"You're blushing," Victoire said. "It's from a boy, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," Dom said, tucking it away again.

"You'll have to tell me eventually, you know," Victoire said.

"That may be the case, but eventually is not now," Dom said. "Did you two find any good flats today?"

Victoire shook her head. "Nothing. They just weren't right, if that makes any sense. We're trying to find a place where we walk in and it just feels like home, and none of them were like that."

"I can understand why you'd want that," Dom said. "What if you don't find one that feels like that though?"

"Then we'll go for the one we like the best, and hope we can find another one later," Victoire said. "Teddy's really listening to my opinions on this, and it's really nice."

"Well, I'd certainly hope he's listening to your opinion, seeing as you two are going to end up married," Dom said. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't look at me like that, you know it's true. I must say, it's nice to see you two acting like your normal selves instead of avoiding each other at all costs. The last few months of school last year were just plain weird."

"They were, weren't they?" Victoire asked. "But that's over and done with now, fortunately. I'm glad to have him back in my life again. We needed the space though, and I'm glad that we took the time to figure out what it was we wanted and to live our own lives for a little while. It was good for us and I don't think this would have worked without it."

"When will you tell Mum and Dad?" Dom asked.

Victoire shrugged. "I don't know, eventually. This is still a very tentative relationship, Dom, it's not like we've been together forever or anything like that. We'll tell them when we're ready, but he's going to leave soon, and it wouldn't really do us any good if Dad suddenly started imposing a curfew on me when Teddy's not here for very long. Once he's back and we sort things out with him permanently here, then we'll figure out how to tell them, but not before that."

"That makes sense, I guess," Dom said. "I'm not sure I'll make it through telling Dad about my thing… If I tell him, that is."

"You won't tell any of us, why would he be any different?" Victoire asked.

"Well, I don't really know if this is going to last or not, that's why," Dom said. "You know what I've learned during this experiment, Vic?"

"What?" Victoire asked.

"Boys are dumb," Dom said.

Victoire laughed. "Yeah, they are. I'm glad you're starting to realize that."

"I mean, I always knew that they were, but now it's just absurdly clear to me," Dom said. "I don't know how you've managed to date three people. This is maddening."

"You get used to it eventually," Victoire said. She glanced at Teddy, who was gesturing dramatically as he explained something to Louis. "Then again, maybe you don't."

Teddy stayed for dinner that night at Fleur's insistence, despite his continued protests that it wasn't necessary.

"So, Teddy, are you looking forward to coming 'ome?" Fleur asked.

"I am," Teddy said. "It'll be good to be able to see family regularly, and all of my friends. It's been a bit strange, being cut off from everyone down in Australia except for letters."

"It was like that when I was in Egypt," Bill said. "You get used to it, but it's never quite as good as being home and close to all of your friends and family. I will say that it's definitely worth having the experience though, even if it is a bit difficult to do at first."

"I agree," Teddy said. "It's not for everyone, but I think it was a good thing for me to do, and I'm glad that I decided to do it. That's not to say that I'm not happy that we'll be coming back early, because I am. I'm just glad that I got to experience something different, and to learn things that I wouldn't have learned here."

"I'm glad you got something out of it," Bill said. "Are you going to go by Hogwarts to watch some of the Quidditch matches?"

Teddy grinned. "You bet I am. Sam and I left the team in very capable hands, but I need to see them play in person before I'll be able to say whether they've lived up to our legacy or not."

"We've done just fine without you two, haven't we, Dom?" Victoire asked.

"We have," Dom said. "Liam's been a great captain, and we haven't lost a game yet, so I think that you'll find that nobody has missed you too much."

"We've missed the pranks more than anything," Victoire said.

"I'm hurt," Teddy said. "Six years I spent on that Quidditch team, and all you can remember me for is my pranks."

"They were the most memorable things that you did, to be fair," Dom said. "We've had champion teams in the past. Uncle Charlie was on one, and so were Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron. You and Sam dyed the hair of everyone who wasn't in Gryffindor the color of their house, and it lasted for two weeks. Of course everyone is going to remember that."

"Some of them really hate you, but they still remember it," Victoire said.

"I wish I'd seen that stuff," Louis said.

Victoire grinned. "Believe me, Lou, with James and company at school, I'm sure you'll see your fair share of completely ridiculous pranks."

"He's really living up to his name," Bill said, shaking his head. "I heard the stories from Professor McGonagall when I was Head Boy. The Marauders did a lot of absolutely mental things during their time at Hogwarts. Teddy's living up to his father too."

Teddy smiled at that. "I try."

The next day, Teddy and Victoire went flat-hunting again. The first two flats that they looked at were no better than the ones that they had seen the previous day, but when they entered the third, Victoire stopped.

"Teddy, I think this is it."

The flat was on the last floor of an old, remodeled house. It had high ceilings and beautiful, solid wood floors. The walls were all painted warm, neutral colors, and the entire flat felt bright and welcoming.

"Let's have a look around, but I think you might be right," Teddy said.

They wandered through the flat, looking into each of the bedrooms, the bathroom, and the kitchen. When they reached the living room again, Teddy nodded. "Yeah, this is it."

"I agree," Victoire said. "It's perfect."

They approached Vivian, who was leaning against the wall by the door. She straightened as they stopped in front of her. "So, what's the verdict?"

"I'll take it," Teddy said.

Vivian smiled. "I thought this would be the one. Well, let's go back to my office, and we'll get the lease signed and get you your key. If you want to set the enchantment so that you have to say a particular phrase to get into the house, you'll have to talk to your landlord. I'll give you her contact information as well."

"That sounds great," Teddy said.

They Apparated to Vivian's office. Teddy read through the lease agreement carefully before he signed it. Once he did, Vivian waved her wand. A copy of the lease appeared on her desk, and she handed it to Teddy, along with a small brass key.

"You'll find contact information for your landlord on the last page of the lease," Vivian said. "I'm glad you've found a place that you're happy with."

"I am too," Teddy said. "Thank you so much for your help."

"I'm just doing my job," Vivian said.

They left Vivian's office a few minutes later and Apparated back to Teddy's new flat.

Victoire sat on the floor of the empty living room and looked around. "This is a good place, Teddy."

"I agree," Teddy said, joining her. "This is our place."

She smiled at him. "Yeah. It is."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yet another slightly shorter than usual update.**

**I apologize if updates are late/somewhat sporadic over the next few weeks. I've got to do an entire biology and Calculus review by the tenth so that I'm up-to-date for school (I leave for a week of vacation with little to no internet access on the tenth, and I don't want that stuff hanging over my head), and I have summer reading to do as well. This doesn't even include the fact that I've got college applications and they're stressing me out like crazy because I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to my essays. My future's a bit more important than a fanfiction, sorry guys.**

**My life is absolutely mad right now what with riding and trying to prep for my final year of high school and I just haven't had much of an inclination to write lately and when that happens the best thing for me to do is usually to step back from the story for a little while to work on other things, so that's what I'm trying to do.**

**There will be an update next week, but I don't know when. I'll try to get it as close to Monday as possible, but I can't make any promises right now since this is the stage of the summer where things get crazy and I'm just attempting to keep everything together until school starts. Life is hard.**

**I appreciate your patience, everyone, and thank you for all of the reviews and follows/favorites. You're the best.**

**Until next time!**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	12. Chapter 12

Leaving for school wasn't anywhere as difficult as Victoire had initially expected. New Year's had fallen on a Sunday, and as a result, they didn't return until the following weekend. Teddy had to leave mid-week, but he departed with the promise that he would write and come to visit on the next Hogsmeade trip.

Sam came to King's Cross to see everybody off, and he managed to sneak away with Molly for a few minutes without Percy noticing. When it came time to leave, they bid goodbye to their families and boarded the train, heading straight for the Head's compartment as they had the last few times they had ridden the train.

"Another six months until we're technically in our last year," Molly said as the train pulled away from the station. "Am I the only one who finds that thought terrifying?"

Victoire shook her head. "No. No, you are not."

"I don't know what you guys are on about," Jade said. "Sure, it's our last year, but if you think about it, we haven't even lived a fifth of our lives yet. Yeah, we'll be going off to new places and doing new things, and we won't be in that same environment that we've been in since we were eleven, but we'll have plenty of time to sort ourselves out."

"Listen to the girl. She's smart," Liam said.

"Why thank you," Jade said.

"No problem," Liam said.

"I like Jade's way of looking at it," Alexa said.

"And that's two in my corner," Jade said.

"Aren't you special?" Monica asked.

Jade grinned. "I do like to think so."

"Personally, I think you're all absolutely mad, but I suppose that's because I'm not one of the inner circle," Jake said. When the girls raised their eyebrows, he shrugged. "What? It seemed like an apt term for the five of you."

"If you say so," Victoire said.

"I do," Jake said.

"I agree with him," Chelsea said. "I love all of you to death and you all know that, but you've got your own thing going on and the rest of us are just a part of the outer fringes."

"We don't try to be that way," Alexa said.

Chelsea smiled. "I know, you just are. There's nothing wrong with that. You've got a really strong bond of friendship and that's really important. You're just closer to each other than you are to the rest of us, and before you say your boyfriends, that's a bit of a different sort of thing."

"She's right about that," Jack said. "Friendship is different than dating, though it's a big part of it."

"Agreed," Victoire said, nodding.

"I'm glad someone does," Chelsea said.

Victoire turned to grin at Nick. "So, Nick, when are you going to find yourself a girlfriend?"

"Whenever I choose," Nick said, rolling his eyes. "I'm just not interested in anybody right now."

"That's unfortunate," Alexa said. "There are loads of girls at Hogwarts who would love to hop on the Edwards train, and seeing as you're the only one who's available..."

"As far as they know, Sam still is," Nick said.

"Yeah, but he never took much interest in anybody," Alexa said. "You, on the other hand, have had two girlfriends and could very easily be looking for another one. Don't deprive all of those lovely girls of your presence."

"I have N.E.W.T.s to focus on," Nick said. "Perhaps once I get the more important parts of my future out of the way, I'll start thinking about it, but I'm not looking for a distraction now. A bit of certainty about the rest of my life comes first."

"Logical," Monica said, nodding. "I'm thinking I'm going to stay off the dating scene until we graduate."

"You?" Alexa asked. "Really?"

Monica rolled her eyes. "I know I'm the most boy-crazy out of the lot of us, but that doesn't mean that I don't know how to prioritize. I like dating and I like having a boyfriend, but I think I might be better off if I just take the next year and a half to focus on myself rather than trying to handle a relationship. I've had my fun, and now it's time to step down for a little while. That's not to say that I won't get back into it once we've finished school, but I've got some work to do first."

"I'll say, Miss I-Want-To-Be-A-Healer," Nick said. "You're going to be busy all the time."

"Like you won't," Monica said. "You want to be a Healer just as badly as I do."

"You caught me," Nick said, grinning at her.

"You've both got your work cut out for you with that one, so good luck," Molly said.

"Thanks, Molly," Monica said. "We appreciate the sentiment, sarcastic or not."

"Everything will work itself out," Victoire said. "We've just got to believe that and things will be fine."

"We don't have a ton of variety in terms of what we want to do, do we?" Alexa asked. "Multiple Aurors, a couple of Healers, Quidditch players... Lots of interest in law enforcement in general."

"Well, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to end up doing," Jade said. "We'll see what it ends up being. I'm just going for the all-purpose N.E.W.T.s in the hopes that they'll help me."

"Yes, because Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are so all-purpose," Victoire said.

"They'll enable me to get jobs that I wouldn't be able to otherwise," Jade said, shrugging. "I'd rather have the opportunities and never take them than not have the chance at all."

"Fair enough," Victoire said.

"I'm going to be a Potioneer," Chelsea said. "I'm hoping to work on the Healing end of it, but we'll see what happens."

"You can make the potions that Monica and Nick will use," Liam said.

"Perhaps," Chelsea said.

Jack grinned. "She'll do whatever she wants to."

"They all will," Jake said. "These girls are going places."

"We try," Jade said.

"The thing is that I don't think you do," Jack said. "You just... Are."

"A lot of things seem to be that way, don't they?" Victoire asked.

"They seem to be, yes," Molly said.

"Be happy that's the case," Chelsea said.

"We are," Monica said. "Honestly."

They went straight to dinner on their arrival back at school. The Great Hall was buzzing with the chatter of friends who had been away for approximately three weeks, and the Weasley and company section of the Gryffindor table was no different.

"What are you two up to?" Victoire asked, peering over the heads of Louis, Max, and two first-year girls named Quinn and Kenzie to stare at James and Fred. Sarah was sitting across from James, and she had her arms crossed as she looked at him. "You've upset Sarah."

"Sorry, Vic," James said, shrinking back in his seat. "We didn't mean to."

"Should you really be apologizing to me?" Victoire asked.

James swallowed and turned to Sarah. "I'm really sorry, Sarah."

The younger girl uncrossed her arms. "Thank you."

"She's not going to stay friends with the two of you if you keep needling her," Victoire said. "It's not always funny to take the mickey, you should know that. This is the first time you lot are seeing each other since before the holidays. Be nice. Aidan and Declan have managed it just fine."

The Finnegan twins smiled at her in unison. She laughed at the identical expressions on their faces. When James and Fred nodded in assent, Victoire smiled and turned back to her friends.

"What will they do once you're gone?" Alexa asked.

"Get up to untold amounts of mischief," Victoire said. "Lucy might end up as prefect for her year though, so it's entirely possible that they'll have another Weasley to look out for them."

"Let's hope so," Molly said. "I don't even want to think about what they'll get up to if there's no one around to keep an eye on them."

"Teddy and Sam managed just fine," Monica said.

"Yes, but we all know that they're special cases," Victoire said. "My little cousins have brains and a legacy to uphold. They're three times as bad."

"It'll be fine," Jade said.

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Victoire said. "What I doubt is _how_ they'll make it that way. I love them, but they're evil."

"That sounds about right," Molly said. "Now, someone please tell me how we're going to make it through the rest of the year?"

"Lots and lots of chocolate," Jade said. "That's how."

"That's a plan I can get behind," Monica said.

Victoire nodded. "Me too."

They went up to their dormitory after supper, more tired than they had expected to be. The light of the full moon shown through the gap in the curtains as they drifted off to sleep.

At breakfast the next day, Victoire was in the middle of eating a bowl of cornflakes when a familiar owl swooped down from the mass that filled the air to land on the table beside her goblet.

"Grunnion," Victoire said, reaching out to stroke the owl. "Fancy seeing you today."

"I guess Teddy misses you," Alexa said, grinning. She was the only other member of their group aside from Victoire who had ventured down to breakfast early.

"We won't know that until I read the letter," Victoire said, making a face at Alexa, who responded by eating another piece of bacon.

After rolling her eyes, Victoire untied the parchment from Grunnion's leg and fed him a few cornflakes. He took them and then flapped away lazily.

Victoire opened the parchment and began to read.

_Tori,_

_I know it's dumb of me to miss you, seeing as it's only been a few days since we last saw each other, but I miss you. If I estimated correctly, this should reach you at school. I hope everything goes well in all of your classes, and the same for everyone else. I miss the girls too, and Sam, not that I'd ever tell him that. I do like to torture him a bit._

_There's only another couple of weeks until I'll be home for good, and I must say I'm really looking forward to it. It's warm down here, which is very nice, but it'll be good to get back to everyone. Let me know when your first Hogsmeade trip of the new year is, would you? I'll bet it's not going to be until Valentine's Day, but whenever it is, I'll take you out for a meal and everything._

_Everything is fairly quiet down here now. There hasn't been anything since that one mission that we went on. I still can't tell you about it. Only spouses have that privilege. Maybe one day._

_I'll see you as soon as possible, and we'll be able to spend a lot of time together over the summer. We can spend some time together during the Easter hols as well._

_Love you,_

_Teddy x_

_P.S. Grunn will probably take a kip in the Owlery before he flies back down, so he should still be around to take your letter._

"He misses you, doesn't he?" Alexa asked.

"Okay, he does," Victoire said. "To be fair, I miss him too, but we're both perfectly capable of functioning without each other. Haven't we proved that?"

"I suppose so, yes," Alexa said. "It'll be good to have him back though. Say, which class do you think we'll get the most homework in?"

"I'm betting on Defense," Victoire said.

Alexa nodded. "I'm going to go with Transfiguration."

"If we're both wrong, no one has to pay," Victoire said. "Three Galleons I'm right?"

"Sounds good to me," Alexa said.

"We waste so much money on silly bets like these," Victoire said.

"Yeah, but we have to entertain ourselves somehow and it's not like we don't earn it back easily," Alexa said. "Besides, a little bit of friendly competition is good for everyone and it's not like we feel some pressing need to make bets."

"No gambling addictions here," Victoire said.

"Definitely not," Alexa said. "Are you going to write him back?"

"I will during my free period after lunch," Victoire said. "Grunn needs to take a nap before I send him off again, so I'll give him a chance to do that."

"That makes sense," Alexa said.

"I'm glad you think so," Victoire said.

Sarah, Roxanne, and Tara entered the Great Hall a few moments later. They sat down a short distance away, and Victoire smiled at the sight of her cousin and the other two second-years.

"Hey guys," Victoire said, picking up her plate and moving closer to them. Alexa followed. "Are you excited to be back at school?"

Roxanne made a face. "Am I ever?"

"It's not that bad," Victoire said. "Besides, we're halfway there."

"It's okay," Sarah said. "James is a jerk, but other than that..."

"What did he do this time?" Victoire asked.

"He and the boys just tease Sarah all the time," Tara said, helping herself to some toast. "They shut up for a little while after you reprimanded Fred and James last night, but it started up again before we went to bed."

Victoire crossed her arms. "Looks like I'm going to need to have a talk with them."

"Oh, please don't," Sarah said. "I don't want them to think I went running to you to complain."

"It's not really about you, even though I'm displeased that they'd pick on someone so nice," Victoire said. "It's about the fact that it's rude, and that I don't buy in to the theory that showing a girl you like her by teasing her is a good idea. It's not. It's rude and disrespectful. I'm going to have a talk with them about doing that to girls in general. I suppose being away from Aunt Ginny has let James get a bit out of hand."

"He's always teased me, but it was always just silly friendly stuff before we got to school," Sarah said. "I don't like it now."

Alexa scowled. "He'll get a talking-to from the both of us. Don't worry about it." Her scowl faded a moment later to be replaced by a smile. "So, we've got Jake and Liam graduating at the end of the year. Are any of you going to try out for the Quidditch team?"

Roxanne shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm pretty sure that James and Fred are going out for it."

"You should try out next year," Alexa said. "Dom's probably going to be captain, and I'll bet you that she's going to hold tryouts for every position, rather than just the ones that are being vacated. I know you can out-fly the both of them. Haven't you always wanted to be a Keeper?"

"It's what I usually play at home, yeah," Roxanne said. She smiled slightly. "You know what? You're right. I'm going to try out, and the both of them can stuff it."

"What about you two?" Victoire asked, looking at the other two second-year girls.

"I don't think so," Tara said. "I'm going to go out for the announcer's position once Monica graduates, like Dad did."

"What about you, Sarah?" Alexa asked.

Sarah shook her head. "I'm happier in the stands than I am on a broom. I'll just be Gryffindor's number one fan."

"We respect that," Victoire said. "Good fans are just as important as a good team. It keeps the morale boosted."

"What are your favorite classes this year?" Alexa asked.

"Defense," Roxanne and Tara chorused.

"Charms," Sarah said.

"She's an ace at Charms," Roxanne said. "Makes the rest of us look bad."

"True," Tara said.

"You'll have a lot of fun with it," Victoire said. "You'll have a lot of fun with everything, really. Classes are good, even when they're difficult."

"It's definitely been that way so far," Roxanne said.

"I'm glad," Victoire said. "Heard from your dad lately?"

Roxanne grinned. "Of course I have. He sent us some things."

"Should we be worried?" Alexa asked.

"Oh, it's got nothing to do with you lot," Tara said. "We've got our eye on a group of Ravenclaw and Slytherin boys who've been a bit nasty to Sarah's cousin."

"You mean Maisy?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows at the mention of the fourth-year Hufflepuff.

"Yeah," Roxanne said. "They've been messing her around a bit and we're not particularly fond of that, so we're going to do a little bit of pranking. Nothing seriously harmful, of course. Just something good for a laugh that will get our point across."

"Just don't get caught," Victoire said.

"We won't," Tara said.

"Somehow I don't doubt it," Victoire said.

"You're actually a cool prefect," Roxanne said. "If Uncle Percy were our age we'd be in trouble constantly."

"Somehow I agree with you," Victoire said. "I just like a good laugh as much as the next person, that's all. Uncle Percy's just... Uncle Percy."

"Pretty much," Roxanne said.

Two hours later, Victoire was sitting in her usual seat in Potions class next to Alexa. Their lesson was on theory that day, so they had out their notes and were busily marking down everything that their professor said. Victoire was in the midst of writing down everything that had been written on the board when a folded-up scrap of paper was slid in front of her.

_**Did you hear about Elise Wilcox?**_

Victoire glanced at Alexa, who shrugged.

_What do you mean?_

_**You remember her, right?**_

_Yeah, she was a Ravenclaw, four years ahead of us. Why?_

_**Apparently she went missing three days ago and they haven't heard a word about her.**_

_That's weird._

_**Yeah. They're still trying to trace her but apparently it's not going well.**_

_I wonder if the Aurors know anything about it._

_**I'm sure they're looking.**_

_Yeah... Still. That's weird._

_**I know. Pippa Hallburn told me. She heard it from Maureen Orlford, who heard it from Thelma Varnsworth in Slytherin. **_

_Why would Varnsworth know anything about it?_

_**I've got no idea, but she should know, her mum works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.**_

_I hope we hear something soon._

_**Me too.**_

That evening, they were so swamped with homework that no one had any time to think about the missing older sister of May Wilcox. They settled themselves down in the common room with their books spread around them and traded ideas for their essays as they worked. Just after midnight, Victoire finished her work and went up to bed, where she fell into a fitful sleep.

The next few days passed quickly. Their first Quidditch practice since December fell on that Wednesday. Liam worked them harder than he had all year, and after patrolling on Thursday night, Victoire felt as though she was going to collapse from exhaustion. The first week after the holidays hadn't even ended yet, and she was already tired. Teddy's response to the letter she had written him arrived on Friday.

_Tori,_

_No, I can't say I've heard much of anything about Elise. It's a shame, she was always really nice to us. I'm hoping she's okay and she's only gone off to visit someone and forgotten to mention it to anybody. She was always a bit forgetful when it came to things other than schoolwork, so it really wouldn't surprise me. _

_They haven't said anything to us about her or her absence. I think they're just trying to get us through the next couple of weeks so that they can get us out of here. I've overheard some things, but again, confidentiality prevents me from confiding them in you. Even if we were married I wouldn't be able to say anything about what I've heard since I'm not supposed to know it, but I will say this: Something's going on and nobody knows what it is quite yet. There have been some whispers of ideas, but they're all a bit far-fetched and entirely guessed at the moment. Everyone's hoping we'll find some sort of evidence sooner rather than later, but all we can do is keep looking and hope for the best right now._

_Uncle Harry wrote to say that he's going to be assigning me to her case once I come home, if she hasn't shown up by then. I'm quite good at the tracking aspect of things, and he says it'll be good for them to get a fresh pair of eyes on the case. I can't say that I disagree, it probably would be._

_I hope everything's going well up there, and that you're not too tired. I'll be home soon, so just think about that if things start getting bad. You'll be of age in a few months as well. That's always something to look forward to._

_Say hello to everyone for me._

_I love you._

_Yours,_

_Teddy_

"Bloody hell," Victoire said, folding the letter up and setting it on top of her bag.

"What's going on?" Molly asked, looking up from her Herbology textbook.

"Teddy says that they haven't heard anything about Elise and that there haven't been any new leads either," Victoire said. "He says hello, also."

"They haven't found anything?" Monica asked, her gaze shifting from her Potions notes to Victoire's face. "Absolutely nothing."

"Nope," Victoire said, shaking her head. "There are no leads and everyone's tossing around theories, but they're all far-fetched and not based on any sort of facts. He said that if she doesn't turn up by the time he comes home, Uncle Harry's going to put him on the case because he's good at the tracking side of things."

"This is mad," Alexa said. "I thought all of this stuff was supposed to stop with Voldemort's death."

"For one thing, we don't know if anything bad has actually happened, so we can't start saying that it's more Dark wizards," Victoire said. "And second of all, there's always going to be Dark wizards in the world. It's just our job once we become Aurors to make sure that they don't get away with anything, or better yet, can't do anything in the first place."

"Still, you've got to admit it's a bit weird," Alexa said. "I remember her. She always seemed like she knew exactly what she was doing."

"Teddy said she was only organized when it came to school," Victoire said. "I didn't know her well, so I'm not going to make any judgments about her. I just hope that she's all right."

"Well, I suppose we'll find out eventually," Jade said. "Let's hope it's good news, shall we?"

"Of course," Victoire said.

"Now, can someone explain this to me?" Jade asked, holding out her Transfiguration textbook. "I'm a bit confused."

Alexa nodded. "Give it here."

Dinner that evening was a subdued affair. Despite the fact that they had begun the final half of the year, everyone was exhausted, including the first years. Liam and Alexa were carrying on a quiet conversation, while Chelsea seemed content to rest her head on Jack's shoulder and only take a bite of food every few minutes. Nick and Monica were pouring over the application for the Healer program together, their food growing cold on their plates as they near-silently argued over whether it would be better to get a ward or research position first. Jake was busily writing an essay for Charms. Jade was still busy reading her Transfiguration textbook as she ate, and Molly was immersed in a novel. Victoire's gaze wandered over the Great Hall as she ate, coming to rest on the familiar face of a fellow sixth-year.

May Wilcox sat by herself at the Ravenclaw table, pushing her food around her plate with her fork. Her face was pale and drawn, and she rested her chin in her hand as she stared blankly across the room. Another sixth-year approached her, but she didn't respond to their tap on her shoulder or their greeting, so they left. It didn't take long for May to stand up and leave the Great Hall, the click of her heels on the stone floor audible in the quiet room. Victoire's gaze flitted to the high table after May left. Professor McGonagall was staring at the doors to the Great Hall, her jaw tight. After a few moments, she stood and waved her wand. The doors of the Great Hall swung shut. The room fell silent almost immediately.

"I trust that all of you are aware of the current problem faced by Miss Wilcox," Professor McGonagall said. "Many rumours have been floating about the school, and they do not make this any easier for anybody. On behalf of the faculty, myself, and the Wilcoxes, I ask that all of you handle this issue with the appropriate amount of discretion and respect. Do not come up with theories. Do not spread rumours. Wait until we know more. We have faced enough. It would not do for us to jump to conclusions before we know the full story."

She sat down and waved her wand again. The doors to the Great Hall swung open. Victoire ate a few more bites of her dinner and then stood up. She exited the Great Hall quietly and went up to Gryffindor Tower. She entered the common room to see Dominique sitting on a couch by the fireplace, a book in her hands.

"You missed the announcement," Victoire said, taking a seat across from Dom.

"What announcement?" Dom asked. "I ran down to the kitchens to get a bite to eat and then came up here."

"I know," Victoire said. "Professor McGonagall asked us to refrain from spreading rumours about what might have happened to Elise Wilcox. I can understand why. Spreading paranoia isn't exactly a good idea, especially since the faculty were all around for the war."

"Well, let's just hope it's not a serious disappearance then, shall we?" Dom asked.

"Yeah," Victoire said. "Just... Watch out, all right? I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Don't overreact," Dom said. "But yeah, I'll be careful. We all will."

"I certainly hope so," Victoire said.

Quidditch practice that Saturday was worse than it had ever been. Everyone was high-strung and running on fumes, and it was all Liam could do to hold the team together.

"FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN, CAIDEN, WATCH WHERE YOU HIT THOSE THINGS," Liam shouted, rolling over on his broom to avoid being hit by a Bludger. "AND DOM, QUIT ANTAGONIZING HIM. IF YOU TWO CAN'T WORK IT OUT, I'M BENCHING YOU BOTH FOR THE NEXT GAME. JAKE, YOU'RE NOT READING THE GIRLS WELL ENOUGH AND THEY'RE GETTING EVERY SHOT PAST YOU. PAY ATTENTION. GIRLS, YOUR PASSES ARE SHODDY AND IT'S MAKING US ALL LOOK BAD."

"We're _trying_," Alexa said, narrowing her eyes. "We're _exhausted._ If you're not happy, how about you play all of our positions yourself? We don't have the energy for this."

"I'm your captain and I'd like for you to show me some respect, Miller," Liam said, turning to her.

"Whatever," Alexa said. "I'm done. I need to sleep. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with me in the morning, _Wood._"

She turned her broom and sped towards the locker rooms.

"You know, she's right," Dom said. "This is ridiculous. We're exhausted. We can't practice. I can barely lift my bat, let alone make up for Lester's stupid mistakes. I'm out."

Victoire watched Dom fly towards the locker rooms. She heard Liam groan, and turned to see him run his hand through his hair.

"I guess that's it for the day," he said. "Not much point in practicing when we're missing two members of our team, is there? Meet out here on Tuesday."

"No thanks," Jake said. "I need to sleep."

"Me too," Alannah said. "Sorry, Li. Maybe Friday."

"What they said," Caiden said.

They sped off towards the locker rooms. Liam turned to Victoire. "Please tell me you don't agree with them."

"Sorry, Liam," Victoire said. "We're all tired, and this whole thing with Elise Wilcox isn't making anything easier for any of us. I know you want to win the Cup this year, I do too, but we're not going to be any good to you if we can't even fly properly. We can practice Friday, but you're not going to get us any earlier than that."

Everyone went to bed early that night.

On Monday morning, an unfamiliar looking owl dropped a letter by Victoire's plate at breakfast. She picked it up, raising her eyebrows at the sight of the familiar handwriting.

"I wonder why he didn't wait for Grunnion to get back," she murmured, sliding her finger under the flap of the envelope to open it. Alexa raised her eyebrows, and Victoire raised the envelope in response. "Teddy wrote again, but my reply can't have made it to him yet."

She pulled a small sheet of parchment out of the envelope and unfolded it.

_Tori,_

_Elise is dead. They found her in Germany. No one knows what happened. May should be getting the news on Monday morning._

_-Teddy_

"Oh no," Victoire said, dropping the envelope. "No, no, no, _no!"_

"What happened?" Monica asked.

"Merlin," Victoire said. "Oh no."

A moment later, a shriek came from the Ravenclaw table. May Wilcox stood up and ran out of the room, one hand over her mouth.

"No," Alexa said, her eyes widening. "It- no!"

"Why?" Jade asked, dropping her head into her hands.

"It's not a why," Molly said, her face pale. "It's a _how?"_

Another letter arrived at lunch.

Victoire opened it to reveal a single piece of parchment.

_Tori,_

_They sent me home. They need everyone for the investigation. See you soon. Be careful, and don't go anywhere alone. Tell everyone else the same._

_-Teddy_

Victoire passed the letter to her friends without a word.

"Does that mean they know something?" Jade asked, looking around at her friends.

"Who knows," Victoire said. "All it means is, they've got suspicions, and whatever they are, they're not good."

Silence fell over the five girls as they stared at each other, their eyes wide in their pale faces.

* * *

**A/N:**

**First: While it's taken seventeen years for it to show up, I have a form of scoliosis that affects my right shoulder blade. My mother has the same problem, and one of the things that aggravates it the most and causes a lot of pain is sitting at a desk in front of a computer. It's okay with my laptop because I can lay down while working and whatnot, but it does complicate things sometimes and I apologize for that.**

**Second: I go back to school the day after tomorrow. Life is going to get even crazier than it has been because riding, school, and college apps will all be happening at the same time. This is terrifying.**

**Third: Riding is life and it is my main priority other than getting in to college right now, so my writing time is somewhat limited.**

**Fourth: O****ver the next few weeks I'm going to go through and edit both In Your Arms and this story to fix continuity issues and whatnot (There are some and you might have noticed them but I'm not going to say what they are just in case you haven't). I haven't been making as many notes as I ought to have been during this and so right now (along with the chapter) I'm working on rough lists of students, birthdays, desired professions, years of graduation, etc. etc. etc. so that I'll actually have things to look at and reference.**

**Fifth: Though this is quite far in the future, as it won't happen until I finish the third part of this trilogy, I am going to write a Scorpius/Rose fanfiction because I also quite like them, and it's going to be set in the exact same world as this story is, meaning that everything that happens over the course of this Victoire/Teddy story will still hold true for that one (I don't know if that one will be in multiple parts or not). Scorpius and Rose will be the main ship in that one, but I'm also going to throw in bits about James and the rest of the family who are in between Teddy/Vic and Rose/Scorpius in terms of schooling.**

**Sixth: I've named my new laptop Vastra because reasons.**

**Seventh: It's not even Monday here. I uploaded early. Yay!**

**Eighth: My back really hurts right now for some reason ouch.**

**Ninth: I love all of you for being patient with me and with this story because it really does mean the world to me. Thanks for all of your awesome reviews too.**

**Tenth: Drama-llama! Things are getting intense. I told you they would. Teddy's coming home even earlier than he was originally meant to. Poor May Wilcox. Poor Elise. Poor everybody. Well, not everybody, but things are happening.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	13. Chapter 13

Somehow, despite what had happened to Elise Wilcox (Whatever it was, details were still almost entirely unknown), life at Hogwarts was relatively normal for the rest of January.

One freezing afternoon in January, Victoire walked in to Defense Against the Dark Arts class to see Professor Valance standing at the front of an empty room.

A former Auror who had fought in the war, though not as a part of the Order of the Phoenix, Hilary Valance commanded respect from every single one of her students without even trying. She was a muscular woman of middling height, and despite rumours that she was encroaching upon her fiftieth birthday, she looked no older than thirty-eight. A winter ball a few years ago had revealed to the students that her black hair was extremely long, but she wore it in a coiled, braided style that showcased her deeply tanned face and piercing dark blue eyes. A narrow scar ran across her left temple. Despite their best attempts, her students had never been able to convince her to tell them how or when she got it.

She nodded to Victoire. "You can leave your bag in the corner, but keep your wand. We're have a practical class today."

Victoire set her bag in the corner and then joined the three Gryffindor sixth-year boys who stood on the far side of the room.

"So you're actually talking to us, then?" one of them asked. He had dark skin and even darker hair, and was glaring pointedly at Victoire.

"I'm sorry?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows. "It's not like I've never said a word to any of you, Henshaw."

"Ignore Patrick," the boy in the middle said. He brushed his light brown hair out of his face and smiled. "You've got your friends and we haven't exactly tried that hard to talk to you."

"Will's right," the third boy said. He was the tallest of the three, with blond hair and brown eyes. "It's not your fault."

"Thanks, Josh," Victoire said. "How are you lot doing? Especially you, Will."

"We're all right," Josh said.

"I'm okay," Will said. "Things have been a bit complicated, and my mum's been with May's for the past couple of weeks, but we're keeping it together."

"Have any of you heard anything?" Victoire asked. "Teddy said no one in the Auror office has found anything."

"We haven't, no," Will said. "They're trying, but we're not expecting much."

"I'm really sorry, anyway," Victoire said.

"Thanks," Will said. "She was my cousin, but I was never really all that close to her. It's mostly just been hard for me because of May."

"Which is completely understandable," Victoire said. "I'm glad you're managing."

"Does anyone have any idea what it is that we're meant to be doing today?" Josh asked.

"Professor Valance said it was a practical lesson, but beyond that I've got no idea," Victoire said.

"Vic!"

Victoire turned to see Monica, who wrapped her arm around Victoire's shoulders.

"Hey Monica," Victoire said.

"Hi," Monica said. She nodded. "Boys."

"Monica," Will said.

"Did you finish that potions essay?" Monica asked.

Will nodded. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

"Mind helping me after classes? I'm a bit stuck and you're the best in the year," Monica said.

"Sure," Will said.

"Awesome, thanks," Monica said. "I can't wait for Saturday."

"Why?" Josh asked.

"She gets to announce the Quidditch match," Victoire said.

"She always announces the Quidditch match," Will said.

"Well, it's my job," Monica said.

"Do you think you guys are set up for us to win, Vic?" Josh asked.

"Definitely," Victoire said. "Things have been going pretty well for the team, aside from a few weeks ago, but that was just an exhaustion thing. We're still playing well. Are you lot going to come?"

"Of course," Josh said.

"I wouldn't miss it," Will said.

Victoire turned to Patrick, who was still glaring at her. "Patrick?"

He didn't say anything. Will rolled his eyes. "He'll be there."

"Good," Victoire said. "It's going to be a good one."

The rest of the class filed through the door a moment later, Molly, Jade, and Alexa among them. After an announcement from Professor Valance, they dropped their bags in the corner and drew their wands.

"We'll be having a practical class today," Professor Valance said, once they had turned to face her and fallen silent. "I know that we've had a state of relative peace for the last fifteen or so years, but it seems that might be under attack. Regardless, growing comfortable means growing complacent, and I won't have you leaving my class without sufficient dueling skills. Today we'll have a bit of practice with simple jinxes and shield charms, and I'll be working some practice with non-verbal attacks into the curriculum before the end of the year. You'll definitely be seeing them next year, and I'd like you to at least be exposed before you leave for the summer. Pair up, and I'll tell you what you may use on your opponent."

Victoire and Alexa looked at each other and nodded. Once everyone had paired up, Professor Valance spoke again.

"We're going to keep things simple today," she said. "You'll simply be working with the disarming and shield charms. Once you've attained sufficient mastery of using those, we'll add Rictumsempra into the mix, and so on. For today we'll stay with the disarming and shield charms, however. You won't be using anything harmful, but you need to learn how to both block and land attacks. Please be sure to leave sufficient space around yourselves. I will be patrolling the room to check on you. You may begin."

Everyone moved to take their places around the room. Victoire and Alexa were stationed near the window on the right side, and they bowed to each other before assuming their stances. Victoire's wand hung loosely in her hand as she watched Alexa, who was watching her carefully. Alexa's arm flexed, and Victoire raised her wand.

"Protego!" she said, as Alexa said, "Expelliarmus!"

Victoire's wand remained in her hand. Alexa made a face and adjusted her hold on her wand.

They continued to trade charms, occasionally managing to slip past one another and land a Disarming charm. Professor Valance stopped to watch them a few times, and as class was ending, she stopped beside Victoire.

"Ten points to Gryffindor for being the pair with the best attack versus defend ratio." She raised her voice. "Class is dismissed. No homework."

"Well, that was..." Molly trailed off.

"A bit too routine?" Jade asked.

"Yeah," Molly said. "Too repetitive."

"I'm sure it'll be more interesting once she lets us start using some more interesting charms," Alexa said.

"Probably," Victoire said. "This was just too predictable. It'll get even better when we start non-verbal next year."

"I just can't wait until we're of age," Alexa said. "Being able to do magic outside of school will be wonderful."

"Don't remind me," Molly said. She made a face. "I'm not going to be able to do any until the end of July."

"Sorry about that," Monica said.

"It's not your fault," Molly said. "It's just life."

"That it is," Victoire said. She stiffened at the sight of someone standing down the corridor. "Now, someone please tell me they remembered to grab the chocolate this morning."

Alexa reached into her bag and pulled out a bar of Honeydukes chocolate. "I did."

"I love you," Victoire said. She unwrapped the chocolate and broke a piece off. After eating it, she passed the bar around to the rest of the girls.

When they reached the end of the corridor, Victoire paused and held out the chocolate bar. "May, would you like some chocolate?"

"I'm okay, thank you," May said, her voice quiet.

"You sure?" Victoire said. "The girls and I will finish it off if you're not interested."

"I'm sure," May said.

Victoire nodded. "Okay."

With that, she continued down the hall. Jade, Molly, Monica, and Alexa followed, and once they had rounded the corner, Jade spoke.

"Why did you do that?"

"I want her to know that there are people who will talk to her without pushing her to say something about what happened," Victoire said. "She needs to come to terms with it on her own and that's not going to happen if everyone is constantly trying to make her tell them how she feels. She needs to sort through her feelings and we're better off giving her space and letting her know that we're here than pushing her to do or say something before she's honestly ready to, because then she'll just resent us."

"I just hope that she'll find a way to cope with it," Molly said. "It can't be easy."

"I hope to Merlin that this was just a coincidence," Victoire said. "I don't want anyone else to have to deal with this."

"I don't think anyone does," Alexa said.

"We'll find out in time, I suppose," Victoire said.

"We certainly will," Monica said. "Now, did anyone get the last question of the Charms homework?"

Jade laughed. "Yeah, I did."

With Jade carefully explaining the answer to the final question of their Charms homework, the girls continued down the corridor to their next class.

When Saturday morning rolled around, Victoire was sitting in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table surrounded by her teammates. At the start of the year, Liam had insisted that they sit together at breakfast before a game. He'd cited something about team unity, which resulted in a lot of people rolling their eyes, but they had obeyed regardless. For the most part, it worked rather well, but Dom and Caiden had a less-than-perfect relationship, and were often going at one another. As a result, they sat on the same side of the bench with two people in between them so that they wouldn't even be able to look at each other.

"Now, guys," Liam said as they finished eating. "Hufflepuff is good, but we're better. We can win this. Everyone just needs to cooperate."

"We can manage that," Alannah said. She locked gazes with Dom. "Can't we?"

"Of course we can," Dom said.

"Good," Liam said. "If we win this match, we're definitely in the running for the Cup. We've already crushed Slytherin, but Ravenclaw beat Slytherin and Hufflepuff which means that we'll probably be facing them in the final. They're even better than Hufflepuff, so we're going to have to keep training. It's not going to be easy winning the Cup this year."

"Is it ever?" Alexa asked.

"Fair point," Liam said. "Regardless, this is my final year with you lot, and we're going to win the Cup."

"We'll do our best, anyway," Jake said.

"Also true," Victoire said.

"Do your best, do whatever, but we want that cup," Liam said. "Professor Longbottom has had it in his office for the last seven years. I'd like to keep it there for at least another seven."

"I think we all would," Dom said.

"That's what you think," Caiden said.

"Shut it, both of you," Alannah said. When Caiden and Dom both stared at her, gaping, she smiled. "It worked. Good."

"Thanks, 'lannah," Liam said.

"No problem," Alannah said.

"We can do this," Liam said.

"That we can," Victoire said.

"On three," Liam said, holding his hand out.

Everyone else laid a hand on top of his.

"One, two, three," they chanted. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The rest of the table clapped as they stood and made their way out of the Great Hall to head down to the pitch. It was empty when they got there, and they flew a few warm-up laps before going into the locker room to change into their robes.

"We've got this," Alexa said, picking up her broom.

"You bet we do," Victoire said. "Don't we, Alannah?"

"Obviously," Alannah said. She shouldered her broom. "Hufflepuff's Chasers don't stand a chance against us."

"Nor does their Keeper," Alexa said.

"It must be so hard to have to fly against us and know that you're probably going to lose," Victoire said. "I'm so glad that we don't have to worry about it."

"Definitely," Alexa said.

They followed Liam out of the locker rooms to be hit with the sounds of hundreds of screaming students. Liam and the Hufflepuff captain shook hands, and the game commenced.

The Hufflepuff Chasers were the first to get hold of the Quaffle. Victoire, Alexa, and Alannah flew after them, but were unable to intercept the Quaffle before it was thrown at one of the hoops. Jake caught it and pitched it to Alannah, who tucked it under her arm and set off down the field.

She was weaving her way through the Hufflepuff players when a Bludger came flying at her. Alexa flew to her side and caught the Quaffle as Alannah dove to allow Dom to send the Bludger careening toward the Hufflepuff Beater who had sent it towards the Gryffindor team. It collided with the end of his broom, sending him spinning.

Victoire tracked Alexa down the field, and positioned herself carefully underneath Alexa as the Hufflepuff Chasers began to follow Alexa's upward ascent. When Alexa reached the peak of her flight, she sent the Quaffle directly downwards. Victoire caught it and flew straight toward the Hufflepuff goalposts. She faked a shot and then threw the Quaffle to Alannah, who had flown up behind the Keeper. Alannah caught the Quaffle and slammed it through the center hoop.

"TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR," Monica said, her voice magically amplified. "IT SEEMS THAT EVEN THE LOSS OF TWO OF THEIR PLAYERS CAN'T DAMAGE THEIR SKILL AS A TEAM."

Victoire grinned and bent low over her broom for the next toss of the Quaffle.

She traded passed with Alexa and Alannah for over two hours. They scored multiple goals, but everyone was beginning to grow tired.

"AND WITH A SCORE OF ONE HUNDRED AND TEN TO SEVENTY, GRYFFINDOR, HUFFLEPUFF CAPTAIN LANDON PELLMAN CALLS A TIME OUT," Monica said.

Victoire flew to join the rest of the team by the student seating, where Molly was handing cups of water over.

"I just need someone to distract Eckles," Liam said. "I get close to the Snitch and then she shows up and gets in my way."

"Caiden and I will do it," Dom said.

Everyone turned to look at her, gaping. She rolled her eyes. "We can work together, thank you. Just do your jobs. We'll keep her so busy with Bludgers that she won't have time to get in your way, Liam. Right, Caiden?"

He nodded, his face expressionless. "Yeah."

At the sound of the whistle, Liam groaned. "Everybody, just be on point and we can win this, okay? Either that, or get us up by more than one hundred and fifty points so that it doesn't matter who catches the Snitch."

"We'll do our best," Alexa said.

They flew back to their initial positions, and it was with renewed vigor that they began to play.

Three goals later, Victoire glanced at Liam. He was diving at the pitch, but Alexa's calling of her name forced her to turn her gaze back to the game.

Alannah had just sent the Quaffle through one of the Hufflepuff goalposts when Monica's voice rose above the pitch.

"AFTER THE GRYFFINDOR BEATERS TURNED THE TIDES BY DISTRACTING HUFFLEPUFF BEATER ECKLES, LIAM WOOD HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH. GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

As Victoire was walking up to the castle a short while later, she heard someone speak.

"Nicely done."

"Sam!" she said. She turned around and hugged him. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Neither did I, until this morning," Sam said. "Teddy made me. He said he wanted me to keep an eye on you lot since the pitch isn't exactly an enclosed and protected space."

"It's within the wards," Victoire said.

Sam shrugged. "He's just being his paranoid Auror self. I'm staying for lunch, so let's walk and talk."

"Sounds good," Victoire said. "Does Molly know you're here? Also, you'd think he'd realize that I can take care of myself."

"He's just worried," Sam said. "They don't know what's going on and everyone's talking about how this could be a small-scale repeat of what happened last time. And yes, I said hello to her, but she and I don't need to be joined at the hip, seeing as you lot are my friends."

"I was just asking," Victoire said. "And it could just as easily be a fluke."

"Believing that was what got us in trouble the last time," Sam said. "They're just trying to be careful, Teddy especially so. He lost his parents to Dark wizards, he's not about to risk losing his friends and the people who have become his family if there's anything that he can do about it."

"Well, I hope they figure out what's going on soon," Victoire said. "You're off training for a while, aren't you?"

"I am, yeah," Sam said. "Until halfway through March. I must admit, it gets a bit boring having so much free time. Practice is tough, but at least it keeps me occupied. I can't even hang around with Teddy because he's working overtime now."

"He didn't tell me that," Victoire said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "He didn't tell me either. I worked it out because he's hardly been home at all. I'd say he comes back to sleep, but I don't know if that's even true. Knowing him he probably sleeps in the office."

"He's eighteen," Victoire said. "Why is he working so hard?"

"Like I said, he feels like he has to," Sam said. "No one can tell him differently, though I know Harry's tried. Just let him deal with this in his own way. He'll figure it out eventually."

"I certainly hope so," Victoire said. "He's not much good to me if he's always busy. He's found time to write me, at least. It's only a few sentences, but it's something."

"Something is always good," Sam said. "Is he still planning to meet you in Hogsmeade?"

"As far as I know," Victoire said. "I guess we'll see though, won't we?"

"That we will," Sam said.

They were silent for a few moments until Victoire spoke.

"Have you heard anything? I know they screen everything that goes into the _Prophet_ and it's not like we're going to hear everything that goes on while we're at school."

"Unfortunately, no," Sam said. "They're keeping this awfully hushed up. Anything I know, I heard from Teddy, and he tells you basically everything he tells me, so I'm not liable to know any more than you do. At this point I'm pretty sure they're just trying to help Elise's family to cope with everything, because this isn't an easy thing to deal with. They'll move into actually going after whoever was responsible once they actually have something to go on, but the problem is they found her in Germany. There wasn't any evidence to show that she was killed there. The German Ministry searched and there was no evidence that she had been staying anywhere or anything. Her body just showed up and no one knows how or why."

"Well, Teddy certainly didn't tell me that," Victoire said. "That's awful."

"Yeah, it is," Sam said. "She was best mates with my cousin Jasmine, did you know that? Jazzy was a Ravenclaw too, and they were in the same year. She's not doing too well at the moment. I guess they were scheduled to go on a trip to Paris next month and then Elise just disappeared."

Victoire winced. "That's terrible."

"It is. Fortunately she's got the rest of their friends to help her cope with it," Sam said. "Still, it's not an easy thing, no matter how big your support network may be."

"I'll say," Victoire said. "I didn't know Elise very well, so I can't say much about her. I still feel bad though. May and I had to work together on a Charms project second year and I've always liked her."

"She's a good kid, definitely," Sam said.

"It's just mad, this whole thing," Victoire said. "I thought we were done with this."

"We'll never be done with it," Sam said. "There's always going to be people who think that they know better about who should and shouldn't be allowed to take part in the magical world. Humanity loves prejudice and stereotyping and we're never going to be able to be fully rid of it. A lot of it, maybe, but not all of it. There aren't any Muggleborns in your year, are there?"

"Not of the girls," Victoire said. "Josh Ginsworth and Brian Kuhn both are, and Patrick Henshaw is a half-blood. Jade's mum is Muggleborn though so she's not a pureblood. Well, none of us are purebloods, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Sam said. "And then there's Monica."

Victoire grinned. "Our good old resident American... Although she really doesn't like it when we bring that up."

"Personally I find it rather entertaining," Sam said.

"Well of course _we_ do," Victoire said. "It's just a reminder to her that she's not technically from here even if she is a British citizen now."

"Dual citizenship," Sam said, shaking his head. "I could never."

"That's what you do when you've got family over there," Victoire said. "I don't think she'll ever end up moving back permanently, but who knows, I could be wrong."

"No, I agree," Sam said. "Her home is here and her friends are here. Her life is here. She doesn't really have a reason to go."

"I could see her moving back for a few months or even a couple of years," Victoire said. "Mark my words, she'll be the one of us to go on a quest to find herself if anyone does, and I'd be willing to bet that she would end up living in America for a while during that quest."

"You're probably right," Sam said. "We'll see though. Monica's always got a way of surprising people."

"I'll say," Victoire said.

They walked into the Great Hall to see that some of the Gryffindors (Victoire had a sneaking suspicion of who it was) had decorated with scarlet and gold streamers, as well as a few roaring lion posters.

"Impressive Charms skills for second years," Sam said, eyeing the posters.

"I'm sure they had help," Victoire said. "They always have help."

"George?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Victoire said, nodding.

They sat down with the team and the rest of their friends at the Gryffindor table.

"Nicely done today, you lot," Sam said.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Liam said. "Not that it's not nice to see you."

"I wasn't expecting to be here," Sam said. "Like I told Victoire, Teddy asked me to come since he couldn't. You all played really well."

"Not well enough," Dom said, spearing a piece of potato with her fork. "That game was way too long."

"It's Eckles' fault," Liam said. "She kept getting in my way."

"I'm a bit surprised it wasn't called as interference," Jade said.

Sam shook his head. "She was getting in his way, but she never actually touched him, therefore it's legal."

"Well, that's stupid," Jade said.

"I know," Sam said. "They still worked it out though."

"It took a while," Liam said.

"But you did it," Sam said. "I'm trying to give you lot a compliment, so please just take it instead of arguing with me?"

Alexa chuckled. "Thanks, Sam."

"Anytime," Sam said.

"So, how does it feel to be back at school when you're not actually a student?" Monica asked.

"It's fine," Sam said. "A bit odd, and I miss pulling pranks and seeing all of you every day, but it's good."

"You could come back, you know," Victoire said. "I doubt any of us would mind. You could bunk in the Head's dormitory with Liam and Chelsea."

Chelsea made a face. "I'm good, thank you. I see enough of him as it is."

"You barely see him at all," Jack said.

She nodded. "Exactly."

"I'm hurt, Chels," Sam said.

Chelsea shrugged. "Sorry, Sam."

"I know the feeling, Chelsea," Alannah said.

"Oh, shut up," Liam said. "You're still the baby of the family, 'lannah. That's not going to change any time soon."

"Much as I wish that weren't true..." Alannah said.

"It's a struggle being the youngest," Alexa said.

Victoire grinned. "How would you know? You're an only child."

"I was just making an observation," Alexa said.

"I appreciate it," Alannah said.

"Of course you do," Liam said.

"Well, I for one think that you're all absolutely mad," Molly said. "Being the oldest is the worst. You get blamed for everything."

"I'd agree with that," Victoire said.

"Me too," Jade said.

"Me three," Liam said.

"I agree as well," Sam said.

"There are a lot of elder siblings at this table, aren't there?" Monica asked.

"Yeah," Jade said. "Strength in numbers."

"Sadly," Nick said.

Monica threw a roll at him. "Oh, stop it."

He batted it away and grinned at her. "Make me."

"Get a room," Jade said.

Monica and Nick looked at each other and then began to laugh.

"I guess I'll take that as a no," Jade said.

"Smart move," Victoire said.

"Probably, yeah," Jade said.

"Have you not heard Nick's spiel about how he's not interested in a girlfriend?" Monica asked, wiping her eyes. "Oh, that's good."

"And she was going on about how she doesn't want to date anyone," Nick said, jerking a thumb in Monica's direction. "We're two friends with very similar positions in life. Jumping to conclusions, aren't you?"

"We just hope that Monica will find someone to date that the rest of us actually like, that's all," Victoire said.

"Give me time," Monica said. "I'm only seventeen. There's still lots of time for me to figure that out. Just because I'm not going to marry my Hogwarts sweetheart..."

"Nobody said that all of us will," Jade pointed out. She smiled at Jake. "Sorry."

He laughed. "Don't worry about it. I get your point."

"Fair enough," Monica said. "But I still think you all will. I mean, have you seen yourselves?"

"What she said," Nick said.

"Well, I guess we'll see," Chelsea said.

"You're not getting away from me that easily, I hope you know that," Jack said.

Chelsea smiled. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Brothers in the vicinity, remember?" Sam said.

"Sorry," Jack said.

Sam laughed. "Of course you are."

"Can we just live in the Hogwarts bubble for the next forever?" Jade asked. "I like it here."

"Sadly, life is not that simple," Dom said.

"I wish it was," Jade said.

"Don't we all?" Alannah said.

"That's too philosophical for a fifteen-year-old," Liam said. "Stop it."

"No can do, sorry," Alannah said.

There was a round of laughter at that statement, and lunch continued, the darker conversations of earlier that day forgotten.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I really need to stop leaving these until the last minute, but that's what happens when I choose to spend my entire weekend cleaning my bedroom rather than writing. Oops.**

**Not much in the way of Teddy this chapter, but I don't want to rush the story too much so this is a bit of a spacer. You guys did find out a bit of information though so it wasn't entirely pointless.**

**Teddy will be back in the next chapter, I promise.**

**Now, I need to go spend the next half hour working on my college essay and doing the Calculus/Biology homework that I put off all weekend because of said cleaning before I go to bed.**

**Until next time!**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	14. Chapter 14

February 11th was the date of that year's traditional Valentine's Day Hogsmeade visit. It was rare that the holiday fell on the weekend, so the students treated the annual February visit as the appropriate time to celebrate.

Up in the dormitory of the sixth year girls in Gryffindor tower, Victoire pulled on a jumper, wrapped a scarf around her neck, tugged on her coat, put on her hat, and stuffed her hands into her gloves. Alexa, who was leaning on the wall beside the door, laughed.

"Isn't that a bit much?"

"It's cold out there," Victoire said. "I'm only trying to stay warm."

"Or so you say, anyway," Monica said, grinning at Victoire from where she sat on her bed.

"Leave the poor girl alone," Jade said, as Victoire made a face at Monica. "She's right, it's freezing out there. Some of us had to go to the Owlery this morning and we experienced it."

"Why were you at the Owlery?" Molly asked.

"Teddy wanted to confirm our meeting spot," Victoire said.

"I had to write my parents," Jade said. "They make me send them a letter once a week just to make sure that everything is going well."

"They worry about you," Alexa said. "That's so sweet."

Jade rolled her eyes. "I'm their oldest child. They can't help it. I also think my mum's suffering a bit from the knowledge that Trent's starting next year. She can't comprehend the idea that two of her babies aren't going to be around anymore."

"How's she going to cope with Trent coming here and you graduating?" Monica asked.

"She'll attempt to convince me to let her come and help with everything that I do after I graduate, like flat-hunting and whatnot," Jade said. "It'll depend on how soon I get a job after we leave though. If it takes a while I might live at home for a bit."

"Logical," Molly said.

"Thanks," Jade said.

"Shall we?" Alexa asked.

"I vote yes," Victoire said.

They shouldered their bags and walked out of their dormitory to join the flood of students going down to the entrance hall. Their names were checked off on the list of students, and they found a carriage with ease.

"What time are you meant to be meeting Jake, Jade?" Monica asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Not until one," Jade said. "We're going for lunch."

"I'm not meeting Liam until one either," Alexa said.

"Half past one for me," Molly said.

"Teddy said between one and a quarter past," Victoire said.

"So I've got at least one of you lot for the next two and a half hours," Monica said. "Good."

"Where to first?" Molly asked.

"I say we go to visit Uncle George first," Victoire said.

"Sounds like a plan," Monica said.

"Well, I guess we know what we're doing then," Jade said.

"Does anyone have any idea what time we're meant to be back to the castle tonight?" Monica asked. "I know that they always make the curfew a bit later on holiday trips."

"Not until eight," Molly said. "They'll have dinner up at the castle for people who want to go back sooner, but we're allowed to stay here to eat too."

"I'll probably stay down," Victoire said.

"You're all abandoning me and it's so sad," Monica said as they climbed out of the carriage on the Hogsmeade street. "What am I going to do the whole time?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Nick said, his voice drifting over them. "Everyone else is busy."

"Sorry, Nick," Chelsea said. "Jack and I have got plans."

"So does everyone," Nick said.

"Not Monica," Alexa said. "You two can keep each other company while the rest of us go off, seeing as you're just friends and all."

"Works for me," Nick said. "Monica?"

"Sure," Monica said. "The girls aren't abandoning me for a couple of hours though. What do you say we meet in the Three Broomsticks at a quarter past one?"

"That sounds good," Nick said. "See you then."

"See you," Monica said.

The girls started off down the street, leaving Nick and Chelsea. Jade grinned.

"You two totally like each other."

"Oh, shut up," Monica said. "He's my friend. How many times do I have to reiterate that?"

"You did have a thing for him last year," Victoire said. "Don't think we've forgotten."

"Well, clearly you haven't, because you're still going after me about it," Monica said.

"We only want you to be happy," Alexa said.

"Yeah, well, I'm just friends with him, I swear," Monica said. "Like I've told you before, we both want to be Healers, which means we both need the N.E.W.T.s, and we have a really easy time talking to each other. We get along really well, I can't help the fact that he's a guy and I'm a girl. We're really good friends and there's nothing else going on. I'm not looking for anything, we've been over this."

"Let's lay off, shall we?" Victoire said.

"Thank you," Monica said.

"No problem," Victoire said. "Let's go find Uncle George in the madhouse."

They walked through the swirling snow to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. When they went inside, the shop was awash with bright colors and a blend of voices, as it always was on Hogsmeade days. They pushed their way through the crowds to the counter, where George stood ringing up purchases.

"Girls," he said, grinning. "Lindsay, take over, would you?"

A short girl with dark hair who was wearing the magenta robes of the shop nodded and stepped up to the counter, allowing George to walk out to greet his nieces and their friends.

"How's the first half of sixth year been?" he asked after hugging each of them.

"Good," Molly said. "Busy, but good."

"Everyone's going a bit mad about the business with Elise Wilcox though," Victoire said.

George nodded, his expression turning grim. "So are we. There's been a lot of talk about what we're going to do, if anything."

"You mean..." Victoire trailed off.

He nodded again. "The Order."

"I thought it was retired," Molly said.

"We agreed we would resurrect it if there was ever a need," George said. "If there was ever a time for that, it's now."

"Does that mean that we'll be able to fight?" Alexa asked.

"I don't know," George said. "Those of you who are of age, perhaps, but the Order usually only accepts members who have finished their schooling."

"So Sam and Teddy, then," Jade asked.

"Potentially," George said. "We won't be doing any recruiting until we have a better grasp of the situation, because for all we know, we won't need it. We'll see, and you'll definitely hear things. There's no way you couldn't, given your closeness to one of the key families of the Order."

"Or our relation, anyway," Victoire said.

"Exactly," George said. "You and Molly have a blood connection. Alexa, Monica, and Jade have one of friendship that could just as easily mean they may be involved."

"So long as it's not without my consent," Jade said.

"It never would be," George said. "But enough of that. I trust the younger ones will be in later?"

"I'm sure," Victoire said. "You need to stop encouraging them, Uncle George."

"They're just having a bit of fun," George said. "Someone has to carry on the tradition and it might as well be them."

"That's mad," Alexa said.

"There have to be pranksters at Hogwarts," George said. "They tend to come from Gryffindor. Of course I'm going to encourage my family members to carry on the legacy."

"I suppose it's only natural, since Fred and Roxy have to take after their father," Victoire said.

"Exactly," George said.

"It is rather funny, I will say," Alexa said.

"They've made me very proud," George said. "Obviously your dad isn't too thrilled, Molly, but that's to be expected."

"Of course he's not," Molly said. "I'm sure he's just glad that it's not me or Lucy."

"I'd bet," Monica said.

"Well, either way I'm pleased," George said.

"I'm glad somebody is," Victoire said.

"What can I get for you lot today?" George asked. "You can't leave without taking _something."_

Victoire bit her lip. "Uh... Just give me the usual."

"Same," Alexa said.

After a few murmurs of assent form the others, George nodded. "The usual. Heard and understood. Just give me a minute."

He left them standing there, and true to his word, came back almost exactly a minute later with a stack of boxes.

Victoire passed him three Galleons and five Sickles. He waved them off. "Family and friends don't have to worry about it."

"You make Uncle Ron pay," Molly said.

"Ronald is a prat, my dear Molly," George said. "He doesn't pay anymore anyway, now that he helps me to run the place part-time."

"Lucky for him," Victoire said.

"Hermione nearly killed him the last time he came home with a huge stack of things, so I'm going to say that he doesn't do that very often anymore," George said.

"She can be awfully frightening," Alexa said.

"Still not as proficient with a Bat-Bogey Hex as Ginny or Victoire though," George said. "Of course, her use of birds... Just ask Ron about that."

"He loves to tell that story for some reason," Victoire said.

George grinned. "It makes Hermione look good, that's why."

"That's sweet," Monica said.

"It really is," Jade said.

"They've always been a rather interesting pair," George said. "Merlin, the number of times that I've thought she was going to kill him..."

"Weasley women are dangerous," Alexa said. "Even when they're Weasleys by marriage only."

"I'll say," George said. "Angie..." He shivered. "You don't make her mad unless you've got a death wish."

"She suits the family then," Monica said.

"That she does," George said. "She's meeting me for dinner in Hogsmeade, so we might run in to you lot later."

"I look forward to it," Molly said. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Jade said.

"Bye, Uncle George," Victoire said, hugging him.

He hugged her back. "Goodbye, Vic."

They left the shop and turned right.

"Where to now?" Jade asked.

"I saw the most gorgeous shirt in Gladrags," Alexa said. "Mind if we stop there?"

"Of course not," Monica said.

They entered the shop, a bell tinkling as the door opened. The warmth of the shop was a welcome change from the bitter cold outside, and Victoire stripped off her gloves and hat with a happy sigh.

Alexa wandered away, humming quietly. Victoire flipped absentmindedly through a rack of dress robes, pausing every now and then to take a better look at a particular set. A door creaked, and she looked up to see someone with light brown hair stepping in to a dressing room, the archway only showing part of the door. Alexa walked past her to enter a dressing room of her own, and a few minutes later, she emerged holding a shirt.

"Find what you wanted?" Monica asked.

"Yeah," Alexa said. "What did you get, Jade?"

"I needed a new sweater," Jade said, holding it up for her friends to see.

Alexa nodded. "It's nice."

"Thanks," Jade said.

They took their chosen clothing up to the counter, and the group left the shop a few minutes later.

"Anyone want to go get a butterbeer?" Molly asked.

"We've still got loads of time before we're meant to meet the boys, so I'm in," Alexa said.

"Same," Jade said.

"That sounds really good right now," Victoire said.

"Agreed," Monica said.

They left the shop and stepped back out into the street. The snow was falling more heavily, and Victoire paused. She tilted her head back and shut her eyes, letting the snow fall on her. After straightening, she spun on one foot, the show crunching under the toe of her boot.

"I love snow," she said. "It's beautiful."

"It's cold," Monica said.

"But it's amazing," Victoire said. "It's just... It's so fresh, and new, and it makes everything seem so clean and pretty. It doesn't feel like anything bad can happen when everything is white and sparkling, you know? This is my favorite part of the year, I think, although it would be nice to see everyone who isn't at school more often."

"Just give it another couple of years, and we'll be out on our own this time of year," Molly said.

"I'm excited," Victoire said. "I wasn't sure if I was, but I'm starting to think that I actually am."

"Me too," Alexa said. "Things just sort of make sense now, don't they?"

"Definitely more than they did at the beginning of this year," Jade said.

"So, has anyone else other than me figured out what they're going to get miss Alexa for her birthday?" Victoire asked.

"Of course I have," Monica said. "What kind of friend do you take me for?"

Victoire shrugged. Molly grinned. "Well, clearly. I ordered it, anyway. It's on backorder a bit but it's meant to be in the week beforehand so hopefully it'll actually follow what I was told."

"I have an idea," Jade said. "I'm hoping it'll work out."

"Well, at least you're all prepared," Alexa said.

"It's your seventeenth birthday, how could we not be?" Victoire asked.

"I don't know, but it's always possible," Alexa said.

"We'd never forget about you, Lexa," Victoire said. "Especially considering that you're going to be of age and could legally hex all of us anywhere."

"Well, except for in front of Muggles, but anywhere magical," Molly said.

"And while we'd all be safe, poor Molly would have over half the summer before she'd be able to retaliate or defend herself," Monica said. "We can't allow that, can we?"

Molly rolled her eyes. "I appreciate your concern, Monica."

"Anytime," Monica said, pulling open the door to the Three Broomsticks and allowing the rest of the girls to walk past her.

They settled at their usual spot, a corner table that was out of the way of the major traffic patterns in the pub. Everyone passed a bit of money to Monica, who rolled her eyes, took it, and went up to the counter.

"She's going to kill us one day," Alexa said.

"But today is not that day, so we're good," Victoire said.

"Or so we hope, anyway," Jade said.

"I think we're fine," Molly said. "Monica's not really what I'd call a violent person."

"No, definitely not," Victoire said.

"Fortunately," Alexa said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't fancy dying at the hands of our lovely friend," Molly said.

"Agreed," Jade said.

Monica came back a few moments later with her arms full of bottles of butterbeer. She set them down on the table, and soon enough, everyone had a bottle sitting in front of them.

"It always tastes so much better when we're actually here than it does when we send someone to get it," Monica said, after taking a sip of her drink.

"I'll say," Alexa said. "You'd think that with the air of danger that surrounds sneaking into Hogsmeade for butterbeer it would taste better, but it really doesn't."

"It's because everyone else is here," Victoire said. "We're all down in Hogsmeade and there's a sense of companionship. There's a whole lot of tradition surrounding these trips and it's a rare chance to get out of the castle and spend a day with friends doing whatever we want. That's why it feels so much better. It's something we're _meant _to be doing and it's a time-honoured tradition."

"I think Vic's right," Molly said. "We hear all about our parents or our friends' parents getting to do this, and it's a rite of passage."

"You're not truly a Hogwarts student until you've sat around a table in the Three Broomsticks drinking butterbeer and talking to your friends," Jade said.

"Exactly," Victoire said.

"Hey guys!"

Victoire looked up to see Nessa standing there. "Hi, Nessa."

"Meeting Danny later?" Monica asked.

Nessa nodded. "Yeah, I am. We agreed on one-thirty."

"Funny, most of us went for somewhere around that too," Alexa said. "Well, those of us who had someone to meet did."

"Pull up a chair, why don't you?" Victoire said.

Nessa smiled. "That would be great, thanks." She slid a chair over from a nearby table and sat down. "How's everything going for you lot?"

"Pretty good," Jade said. "We're a bit busy, but other than that..."

"How's studying for your N.E.W.T.s going?" Victoire asked. "Seeing as those are coming up in a few months."

"Oh, it's fine," Nessa said. "Fortunately, my school in Spain was a bit more intense with their curriculum, so for the most part, I was ahead or at the very least comparable to everyone else in my classes."

"That's good," Molly said. "It'd be awful to have to catch up on all of that work in a year. N.E.W.T.s are a serious business."

"I'll say," Nessa said. "Every one of my teachers has been emphasizing that we shouldn't aim for anything less than an O on all of our N.E.W.T.s. Way to lay on the pressure, honestly."

"They just want all of you to succeed, that's all," Molly said.

"I know, but it's a bit much when every single teacher is doing it," Nessa said. "There hasn't been any sort of reprieve and it's a bit disheartening."

"You'll pull through," Victoire said. "The seventh years always do. Anyway, you can go visit my uncle George for some things to help you get out of class so that you can sleep or whatever."

"He's awfully good at coming up with new things every year," Monica said.

"He's stayed ahead of the ban list ever since the company was started," Molly said, shaking her head. "I can't decide if that's awful or if he's just a genius."

"Oh, he's definitely a genius," Victoire said. "The man's brilliant. He is a bit mad though, definitely."

"In the best way possible, if you ask me," Alexa said. "I wish I was related to him."

"You might as well be," Victoire said.

"True," Alexa said.

"Anybody know what time it-" Victoire was cut off by the sound of a loud crash from outside. "What was that?"

She rose out of her chair and went out into the street.

The sky was dark with heavy grey clouds, and multicolored lights streaked across the street as three figures in dark clothing shot curses at two much smaller people.

Victoire drew her wand and turned to face her friends. "Stay here, guys. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm coming," Nessa said.

"Me too," Monica said.

"So am I," Jade said. "We're all of age, don't argue with us. You're not."

"You're not leaving me here," Alexa said. "We go together or we don't go at all."

"What Alexa said," Molly said.

Victoire sighed. "Fine."

Their wands held at the ready, they moved out into the street. People were screaming, watching the fight, but Victoire did her best to ignore them as she sprinted towards the two children who were being attacked. Victoire recognized the older of the two as a fourth-year Hufflepuff, and she threw herself in front of the girl, who had been hit with a curse moments before. The two young students lay motionless in the street as Victoire stepped towards the three wizards.

_"Don't you touch them,"_ Victoire hissed, facing the closest of the three wizards in front of her. Their faces were covered with featureless black masks, and they wore deep navy and black robes with hoods that hid their hair.

As the wizard she had spoken to raised their wand, her friends moved to engage the other two. When the first curse came in her direction, Victoire was ready with a Shield Charm.

_"Protego!"_ she yelled.

Another curse was already coming in her direction, and she continued to move, her wand slicing through the air as she and the robed wizard exchanged spell after spell. She could hear screams from her friends as they battled the other two wizards. Suddenly, there was a loud crack, and the wizards Disapparated.

"Bollocks," Victoire heard. She turned to see someone with a familiar head of turquoise hair. "They weren't meant to get away, but of course they fled as soon as they saw me."

"Teddy?" Victoire asked. "What are you doing here? We're not meant to meet for another half an hour."

"I came early to see Sam," Teddy said, moving toward the two students who lay behind Victoire. "We need to get these two back up to the castle, and fast." He levitated the younger of the two, a third-year Slytherin, and began to walk as he spoke. "Take care of her, would you? You're going to get a citation for underage use of magic, you know."

"I think the situation called for it," Victoire said, levitating the unconscious Hufflepuff girl in front of her as she began to walk. "Molly and Alexa are going to get them too, but we couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Nobody else was trying to help, so we had to step in. It wasn't right to just leave them. We couldn't."

"While I respect you for doing that, you can't just go putting your life in danger," Teddy said. "There were plenty of trained _adult _wizards around, why didn't you let them do something?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Victoire asked. "Nobody else was trying to help. We had to do something."

"It was foolish," Teddy said. "They remember what it was like when everyone who attacked was a Death Eater who had orders to kill anybody who got in their way. The Auror office got a call. Others were on their way."

"I don't care if it was foolish," Victoire said. "You're going to have to get used to me doing dangerous things eventually, Teddy. I'm going to be an Auror, and that's going to involve entering fights where the odds are against me. This was just a bit of early training. I'm fine."

"You're fine now, but it doesn't mean that you'll be fine later," Teddy said. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"You can't protect me forever," Victoire said. "I don't expect or want you to either. I need to be able to take care of myself, and I need you to trust that I'm capable of doing that."

"I do," Teddy said. "I do. I just... I don't want to see you go the way that they did."

Victoire looked at him, fighting the urge to lower the Hufflepuff girl to the ground so that she could hug him. She sighed.

"We can't talk about this right now, we need to get these two back to the castle."

He nodded. "You're right."

They increased their pace, and twenty minutes later, they passed through the gates of Hogwarts. Teddy led the way through the corridors, which were empty due to the Hogsmeade trip, and pushed open the door to the Hospital Wing with his shoulder. Madam Pomfrey hurried out of her office at the sound of the door creaking. Her eyes widened at the sight of Teddy and the two unconscious students.

"Mr. Lupin, what are you doing here, and what in Merlin's name happened to these children?" she asked, removing her wand from her pocket as she spoke.

Teddy levitated the third-year to an empty bed. Victoire did the same with the fourth-year. Madam Pomfrey moved to look them over.

"Dark wizards attacked them in Hogsmeade," Teddy said. "Victoire and her friends stepped in to defend them, but not before they were unconscious."

"We didn't know about it until then," Victoire said in answer to Madam Pomfrey's questioning glance. "We would have done something sooner if we could."

"I see that recklessness runs in the Weasley family," Madam Pomfrey said. "I'll care for them. This is nothing I can't handle. You got to them before any serious damage could be inflicted. They need a dose of three different potions and some rest, but they'll be fine. You may go."

"Thank you," Victoire said.

Madam Pomfrey nodded, her attention already returned to the unconscious students.

"Come on, let's go back to Hogsmeade," Teddy said once he and Victoire reached the entrance hall. "We'll have our Valentine's Day date even though this happened."

"No, Teddy," Victoire said, tugging him into a window alcove. "We need to talk about this before we go back. I don't know about you, but I don't really fancy another repeat of last year's Valentine's Day, do you?"

"Not particularly, no," Teddy said.

"Okay then," Victoire said. "I get that you want to protect me. I do. I understand that, and I understand that you don't want to lose me like you lost your parents, but the fact remains that I need you to trust me to take care of myself, and I need you to believe that I'll be a perfectly capable Auror, or we're going to have some problems. I'm not some damsel in distress. I don't need you to come and save me."

"I know," Teddy said, rubbing his eyes. "I just... I wish I didn't have to worry about you, but I do. I worry about all of you guys, but you especially. I do know that you can take care of yourself, and you know what, Tori?"

"Yes?" Victoire asked.

He took a step toward her so that he was directly in front of her and lowered his head so that his mouth was beside her ear. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. "I believe you're going to be the best Auror in the entire department once you're done with school."

"Thank you," Victoire whispered, just before Teddy pressed his lips to hers.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifting her off the ground slightly. She let him, knowing that he needed reassurance that she was there and okay, and wrapped her arms around his neck to give herself some support. When he lowered her to her feet again, he kept his arms around her waist.

"Merlin, I've missed you," he muttered.

"The feeling was mutual," she said. "Now, what do you say we go back down to Hogsmeade rather than stand here in a place where we could easily be seen?"

"That's probably a good idea," Teddy said. "We can do Side-Along once we're through the gates."

As soon as they walked out of the front doors of the castle, Victoire grinned at him. "Race you."

With that, she took off running toward the gates. Teddy swore loudly and broke into a run as well. Her few seconds of a head start meant that she managed to reach the gates a pace before he did, and she knelt, bracing her hands on her knees and breathing hard.

"You lost," she said, looking up at Teddy with a wide smile on her face. "Sucks."

"You cheated," Teddy said. "You had a head start, that's hardly fair."

"It's not my fault you weren't prepared," Victoire said. "Don't go blaming me for your own shortcomings."

"Oh, shut up," Teddy said. He took her hand and led her through the gates. As soon as they were outside, they disappeared with a loud crack and reappeared in the main street of Hogsmeade.

"Thank Merlin you're okay," Alexa said, catching Victoire up in a hug.

"I'm fine," Victoire said. "We took them up to the castle. Madam Pomfrey's taking care of them. She said they'll be all right."

"Good," Molly said. "That was mad, you know."

"Mad, but necessary," Victoire said.

"All I want to know is who those people were," Monica said.

"I think we'd all like to know that," Teddy said, his eyes darkening.

"Teddy? What are you doing here?"

Victoire turned to see Tatiana walking toward them, a young woman with light brown hair following close behind.

"Forget me, what are you doing here?" Teddy asked.

"I came to meet Mimi for lunch," Tatiana said, gesturing toward the young woman. "You?"

"I came to meet the girls," Teddy said. "Did you miss what happened out here?"

"I was in the bathroom, I had no idea anything was happening," Tatiana said. "I swear."

"She was," Mimi said. "I promise."

Teddy nodded slowly. "All right. Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go furniture shopping?"

"Sounds good."

Victoire laced her fingers through his as they walked away.

"Did you believe that?"

"Believe what?" Teddy asked.

"That she was actually in the bathroom," Victoire said.

"Well, I have no reason to believe otherwise," Teddy said. "Why, do you think she had something to do with this?"

"I don't know," Victoire said. "But right now I'm inclined to distrust anyone that I don't know."

"I know Tatiana," Teddy said. "She'd never do something like that, and anyway, Mimi said she was in the bathroom, so that's their word against a possible suspicion. No, this is somebody else. We've been getting whispers of new Dark groups, but this is the first time one of them has dared to actually attack somebody in public. I'm just glad that the students are going to be all right."

"Me too," Victoire said, tightening her grip on his hand. "Me too."

* * *

**A/N: **

**NEW MOVIE SET IN THE MAGICAL WORLD OF HARRY POTTER YAYYYYY THIS IS SO EXCITING.**

**Okay I've literally had the worst week and I'm sorry this was so late but it's here and I'm going to start on the next chapter right now so that it'll definitely be done for Monday. **

**Things are getting intense.**

**Also, I nearly got into a massive argument today with somebody because I love James Potter and really don't like Snape (As a person. From an author's perspective I love him because his development is absolutely brilliant) and it was ridiculous and I don't understand people who don't see the good parts of James, cause I know he wasn't particularly nice to Snape, but he wasn't the horrible demon that so many people like to make him out to be.**

**I also caught up on Once Upon a Time and I'm slightly (read: very) in love with Killian Jones/Captain Hook and I REGRET NOTHING.**

**Until next time.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	15. Chapter 15

Life at Hogwarts following the attack in Hogsmeade was fraught with emotions that Victoire had never experienced on such a wide scale before. The halls were filled with a nervous air as students moved from class to class, and the teachers were even stricter with their punishments for being out past curfew than they had been in the past. Everyone was frightened, wondering if someone they knew could be related to the people who had committed the attack, but Professor McGonagall was adamant that life – and Hogsmeade visits – would continue as normal. She knew better than anyone else in the castle what Voldemort's regime had been like, having been old enough when he first came to power to remember it vividly, and she held up Professor Dumbledore's old standard that they would not be needlessly afraid.

Two small – by Professor McGonagall's definition, anyway – changes were made at the end of February, when she called all of the prefects to meet with her and a few unnamed others on a Friday evening in the standard meeting room that was just down the hall from the Head's dormitory. It was where usual prefect meetings were held, but somehow the room, with its red-and-gold furnishings (It was decorated for the house(s) of the Heads every year), seemed terribly unfamiliar and menacing to Victoire. It shouldn't have, she had been to more meetings than she could count inside of it, but the sight of Professor McGonagall in a single, high-backed chair at the head of the long, walnut table made Victoire feel particularly worried about the outcome of the meeting.

"Thank you all for being so prompt," Professor McGonagall said, when the last prefect had taken their seat and the room had quieted. "It was necessary to call you all here this evening to inform you of two changes that are being made to the function of the prefects and the castle as a whole. Aurors Lyons and Lupin, if you would step forward, please."

Victoire fought the urge to let her hands fly up to her mouth when Teddy and a familiar, but unidentifiable young woman stepped from the small room that was typically used as the office of the Heads. Teddy's hair wasn't its usual shade of turquoise. Instead, it was a dark brown, and his hazel eyes were grey, but there was no mistaking his face, despite the serious and business-like expression upon it.

"Aurors Lupin and Lyons are two of the twenty Aurors and other members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that have been assigned to provide preventative protection for the school," Professor McGonagall said. "It is their appointment that I wished to speak with you about, but I believe that the Aurors would be better suited to inform you of the changes in protocol. Aurors, if you please."

She folded her hands and looked expectantly at Teddy and Auror Lyons. Teddy exchanged a glance with Lyons and stepped forward, the light banishing the shadow that had fallen across half of his face. His jaw was tight, his face drawn, and he had none of his usual air that was so inexplicably _Teddy_. Victoire sat back in her chair as he began to speak.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Edward Lupin. Most people call me Teddy, though some call me Ted. I graduated from this fine establishment last year, and despite my familiarity with many of you, I'd like to ask that you call me Auror Lupin while I am on duty," he said. "My fellow Auror is Naomi Lyons, though you should address her as Auror Lyons. Her sister Jennifer was in my year, so some of you might know her. As Professor McGonagall has said, we have been assigned to be a part of the preliminary protective force that is to be stationed at Hogwarts. This force is a response to the events that occurred during the last Hogsmeade visit. Auror Lyons, if you would."

Naomi – _Auror Lyons, _Victoire reminded herself – stepped forward. She had reddish-blonde hair and brown eyes, and could have easily passed for a Weasley if she had so desired. When she spoke, her voice was low and smooth. "Thank you, Auror Lupin. Our tasks as members of this force fall into three categories – protection of the school, protection of the students, and protection of Hogsmeade. The first category, protection of the school, is one that involves positioning ourselves at various stations around the grounds during the night hours, in order to ensure that no unwanted guests come to pay the school a visit. They'll be in for a bit of a nasty surprise if they do."

There was a slight chuckle from the prefects, and the corner of Auror Lyons' mouth quirked up for a moment.

"The second category is protection of the students," Auror Lyons said, once everyone had fallen silent again. "This may seem as though it could easily be part of the first category, but this is a special circumstance. Professor McGonagall, if you would like to explain..."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "An Auror will be assigned to either patrol with a pair of prefects, or a specific one. No one will patrol without a trained Auror or hit wizard, in the event that someone manages to either slip past our defenses or attacks from inside. You will receive a list at the end of the meeting detailing who you will be patrolling with, and when."

"The third category is protection of Hogsmeade," Teddy said, after a moment of silence. "We will be joining you on all future Hogsmeade trips until the threat is neutralized, in order to ensure your safety during your time in the village. Hogsmeade trips are a Hogwarts tradition, and neither Professor McGonagall nor Head Auror Potter wished to be rid of them entirely, so a suitable compromise was reached."

"The Aurors and other assigned wizards will be working at the school in shifts," Professor McGonagall said. "As a result, they will be here for two weeks at a time, at which point they will go home and be replaced by the second shift. Spare staff quarters and dormitories are being assigned to house them. I hope you will do your utmost to set an example for the younger students and welcome our friends from the Ministry. Prove to them that we are a community that they can be proud of. Miss Edwards and Mister Wood have the schedules. Please obtain one before you leave. Thank you for attending this meeting. You are dismissed."

Victoire glanced at Teddy as she approached Chelsea to get a schedule. She caught his eye, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. Her eyes widened in confusion, but he turned his gaze back to Auror Lyons, who was talking in a hurried whisper about something Victoire could not decipher. After taking a schedule, Victoire left the room and walked down the hall to an empty classroom, where she sat down at a desk and looked at the schedule. Her rotation slot would happen on Tuesday, but it did not say who her partner(s) would be. She folded up the schedule and tucked it in her pocket before laying her head on her arms and staring at the blank blackboard behind the teacher's desk.

She'd lost track of how long she had been sitting there when she felt the warm weight of a hand settle on her shoulder, the fingers curling down to her collarbone. Without turning her head to look, she spoke.

"Yes, Teddy?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to be involved in personal relationships while I'm on duty, that's why I couldn't speak with you earlier."

"It's your job, I get it. Don't worry."

He began to rub small circles on her shoulders with his fingers, his touch extremely light through the fabric of her uniform shirt.

"You seem upset though."

"I don't know if I'd say that I'm upset. Just... Nervous."

"Why?"

"They've sent Aurors to the school, Teddy. I know you're not allowed to tell me anything because it's all confidential, but you have to see that this is a big fat announcement to everybody that it's worse than we think and that we need to be worried about our own personal safety, because the Ministry was concerned enough to send Aurors. It's perfectly transparent, Teddy. We're not stupid."

His hands curled around her shoulders again, and when he spoke, his breath was warm against her ear.

"Victoire Emilie Weasley," he murmured, her rarely-used middle name rolling off his tongue smoothly, its quiet reference to her great-grandmother echoing in the room. "I'd never think you were stupid. You're too good with a hex for that."

She let him gently lift her out of her chair and sit her on the desk. He moved to stand between her legs, his hands still pressed gently against her arms.

"It would be wonderful if we could see each other more often under better circumstances," he said, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Somehow I doubt that's going to happen," she said. She closed her eyes. "Besides, you're here now, aren't you?"

"I am, but this isn't how I pictured my first few months in my own flat," he said.

"I thought it was ours."

"It is."

"Good. Now, would you stop delaying and just kiss me already?"

"As you wish."

Her fingers curled around his neck, tangling in the short hair there, as he pressed his mouth to hers. His hands found their way to her waist and back, and she hummed in agreement as he pulled her closer to him. He slid his fingers through her hair, detangling the knots as he did so, and she moved her hands to cup his face delicately. She could feel him smile slightly, and it made her smile in return, breaking their kiss as she leaned her forehead against his again. He laced their fingers together and laughed softly.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too," she said. "It's certainly better when we're not levitating victims of a Dark wizard attack, isn't it?"

"I'll say," he said, the words just barely coming out before he kissed her again.

She let him deepen the kiss, choosing to wrap her arms around his neck and draw herself as close to him as possible. They remained in that position for quite a while, his lips easing over hers, until he pulled away from her and froze.

"Teddy, wha—"

He held a finger to his lips and grabbed her hand. He pulled her off the desk and to the back of the room. He crawled into the small space underneath the teacher's desk and pulled her down with him. Just as she opened her mouth to ask another question, she heard voices and shut it.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying, Professor."

"That's Lyons," Teddy whispered, his voice only audible because his mouth was right next to Victoire's ear.

"I've had reports." That could only be Professor McGonagall. "The Order has seen fit to provide me with news of what they know. You should be aware of this, you're a member, Naomi."

"I mean, I've heard things, but I've been on duty for the last three months," Auror Lyons said. "Nobody has seen fit to actually update me on anything. The only information I've gotten has been from Kingsley or Harry in passing."

"I'd hoped they would have sent out a message," Professor McGonagall said. "I'll have to contact Harry and make sure that he takes care of that immediately. They were able to capture one suspect from the attack on Godric's Hollow, but he hasn't said anything of use, only that his master would be most displeased with his capture and that we should just kill him to save him from the torture he'll get if he is released."

"You don't think–" Auror Lyons paused. "Not another Dark Lord, Professor?"

"I don't know," Professor McGonagall said. "All I know is that the only reason that your lot were assigned to protect this castle is because Harry and Kingsley fear the worst and they're going to protect everyone here. Harry's family is here, a lot of it, and more will be here as time passes. He's not going to risk the safety of his eldest son, nieces, nephews, and the children of some of his closest friends, not when he can do something to stop it. He won't let us have another repeat of the Wizarding War."

"So do you think we'll find whoever it is?" Auror Lyons asked.

"I can only hope," Professor McGonagall said. "I'm not sure why Teddy was stationed here. He's one of the best trackers that the Ministry has."

"Harry wants to keep him safe," Auror Lyons said. "As his senior officer, I was privy to some of that information. Harry isn't selfish often, but you know it matters to him when he is."

Professor McGonagall sighed. "I won't question him on this. It's his choice. I just hope nobody else dies in the process. Come, I'll show you to where you'll be staying."

Their shoes clicked audibly on the stone floor as they left, and it wasn't for a few minutes after the echo had faded that Victoire or Teddy spoke.

He helped her out from under the desk, his hand warm around hers. She searched his face for some sign of a reaction, but he was calm.

_Too calm_, she thought to herself. Teddy Lupin had never been one for being completely level-headed upon finding out that secrets had been kept from him, especially when those secrets involved him in some way. She reached out with her free hand to cup his cheek, her eyes searching his.

"He's just trying to keep you safe," she said. "Just like you want me to be."

Teddy's face was impassive as he spoke. "But just as you want me to trust you to take care of myself, I'd like it if he could trust me to do the same."

"He loves you, Teddy, that's why he's doing this," Victoire said.

"It doesn't matter," Teddy said.

"Of course it does," Victoire said. "It always matters. We need you here."

"No you don't," Teddy said. "There are other Aurors who are equally as capable."

Victoire stepped closer to him, her eyes still locked on his. "_I _need you here."

His eyes searched her face for some sign of dishonesty, but when he found none, he lowered his head and kissed her again. She let him, fully cognizant of the fact that he needed reassurance, and when he released her, she took his hands and squeezed them gently.

"Where are you meant to be staying?" she asked.

"In one of the empty faculty offices," Teddy said. "I'm only here until Saturday though. They just wanted me to come explain things, since I'm one of the most recent Hogwarts graduates and they thought it would sound better and less frightening if it came from somebody that the prefects know."

"Why the normal hair?" Victoire asked.

Teddy made a face, the first sign of emotion since Professor McGonagall and Auror Lyons had left the room. "I completely forgot. We were on a mission for a few days and I had to blend in. Sadly, turquoise hair doesn't blend in very well." He shut his eyes, and when he opened them again, his appearance was back to Victoire's favorite – bright turquoise hair and his natural hazel eyes.

"I think you need to go to bed," Victoire said. "It'll all make more sense in the morning."

"I get so little time with you as it is," Teddy said, sighing. "I'd rather not take away the time we have by going to sleep now."

"If you lend me a shirt I'll stay with you tonight," Victoire said. "I've got a free period first thing tomorrow, I can go back to my dormitory and change then."

"That's a very agreeable idea, Miss Weasley," Teddy said.

"Why, thank you for thinking so, Mister Lupin," Victoire said.

She allowed him to lead her out of the classroom. The corridors were growing dark and quiet, as curfew was in less than an hour, and most students had already gone back to their dormitories. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the otherwise empty corridor, and their shadows flickered in the light from the few candles that lit their way. Teddy led her down two flights of stairs and, after muttering the password, through a door that appeared rather suddenly in the wall.

The room that they were in was rather dull, with no personal touches to make it feel like a home. The bedding was the uniform Gryffindor style of scarlet and gold, though it was made for a double bed rather than the singles in the dormitories, and the desk was empty of any items other than an inkwell and a few rolls of parchment. A small bag – Victoire assumed it was Teddy's travel bag – sat in the corner. He went to it and rummaged around, eventually pulling out a small stack of clothing. He threw the item on top at Victoire, and she immediately abandoned her uniform shirt and skirt in favor of the soft cotton that was Teddy's t-shirt. She felt his eyes on her as she braided her hair, her fingers moving swiftly, and after he finished changing, he got into bed. She slid under the blankets to join him, and he immediately pulled her closer, pressing his face into the crook of her neck and breathing deeply. She ran her fingers through his hair gently, and when they finally fell asleep, it was with his arms around her and her head on his chest.

She awoke first the next morning. Her head still rested on his chest, and her right leg was slung over his left. She laid there with him for a while, and then rolled over to look at the clock, which revealed that it wasn't yet time for breakfast. After kissing Teddy's forehead gently, she got out of bed and quietly put her clothes on before going to the desk. She found a blank piece of parchment and a quill, and proceeded to leave Teddy a note.

_Teddy,_

_I went back to my dormitory to change. You were still asleep and I didn't want to wake you._

_I'm going to go down to breakfast with the girls, and I'll be in the library if you want to come find me when you wake up._

_Love,_

_Victoire x_

She left it on the pillow she had used, and left the room quietly. The Gryffindor common room was empty when she entered it, something that she was grateful for, and she climbed the stairs to her dormitory slowly, knowing what sort of reception she would get when she went inside.

She pushed the door open slowly. The hinges squeaked, and she winced. As soon as the door was open, Alexa began to bombard her.

"Where were you last night? Visiting with somebody? Getting up to _activities?_"

Victoire rolled her eyes and shut the dormitory door. "Nothing happened. Teddy's stationed here for his Auror duties. I stayed with him last night. You know you're just as guilty of doing that with a particular person this past summer."

"Yeah, but I'm not as innocent as you."

"Victoire's hardly innocent," Molly said, as Victoire began to change into a fresh uniform. "But yeah, Vic, that was a thoroughly unexpected turn of events."

"Just because you are all frightfully immature..." Victoire said.

"We just have to tease you a bit, that's all," Molly said. "Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah," Victoire said, straightening her tie. "Breakfast, anyone?"

"Sounds good to me," Monica said. "I'm starving."

"Hardly," Jade said. "You had half a chocolate bar when you woke up."

"Monica, I thought we talked about that," Victoire said.

Monica made a face. "I was hungry."

"Sure you were," Alexa said. "It's not that you're, you know, addicted to chocolate or anything."

"No, of course not," Victoire said. "It could never be anything like that. How could you ever suggest such a thing, Alexa?"

"There are worse things to be addicted to," Jade said.

"Perhaps, but it's hardly healthy," Victoire said.

"Well, you weren't here to yell at me, so really, this is your fault," Monica said, smiling.

"Yeah, blame me," Victoire said.

"You're an easy target, since you weren't here last night and all," Molly said.

"What, does this mean that when we move into our own flats we'll automatically be targets?" Victoire asked.

Alexa shrugged. "It's a possibility."

Victoire tugged on her shoes and made a face at Alexa. "A dumb one."

"But a possibility nonetheless," Molly said.

"Can we please go now?" Monica asked.

"I'm all for that idea," Victoire said.

Alexa nodded. "Same."

The Gryffindor common room was slowly filling up when they walked down the stairs from their dormitory. The majority of the students were younger, as they didn't have the luxury of free periods as many of the older students did, and Victoire sighed at the sight of James, Fred, and Tara bent over a piece of paper.

"If you three are up to something, you'll have to put it away," she said.

James looked up at her. "Sorry?"

"Don't look at me like that," Victoire said. "I know you, James. You too, Fred, Tara. I'm all for a bit of fun and games, but it's a serious time right now and you need to make sure you behave like it is. We're going to have some guests with us in the castle for the foreseeable future and we need to present ourselves in the best way possible. Hogwarts is a serious institution and it needs to be shown as such, so you need to be on your best behaviour, all right? I'll let you know when it's safe to start pulling pranks again. I just don't want you to get into trouble for something stupid right now, since punishments are at a high at the moment and I don't think it would go over very well with our esteemed faculty."

James nodded, Fred and Tara mimicking the motion behind him. "I didn't know, Vic, I swear."

She ruffled his hair. "I know, that's why I told you. I'll see you."

She rejoined her friends, and they left the common room. The students that they passed on their way down to the dining hall were all displaying the customary expression of the end of February. It was the longest period without any break during the year, and most people tended to suffer for it, be it through stress or lack of sleep. The added tension of the attacks on the Hogwarts students had only served to be a further detriment to the mental and physical health of everyone.

Victoire paused upon entry to the dining hall, something that she had overheard from Auror Lyons' and Professor McGonagall's conversation coming to mind. Alexa looked at her quizzically, but she merely shook her head and continued on to the Gryffindor table, where she took her seat and looked up at the faculty table. A few extra seats had been added for various Auror members, but Teddy wasn't one of them. She helped herself to some cornflakes and pumpkin juice. Sterling dropped _The Daily Prophet_ beside her on the table, and she picked it up to look at it.

"Anything interesting happen?" Alexa asked.

Victoire shook her head, skimming through the pages. "It doesn't look like it. They're working really hard to keep this whole thing hushed up so that the public won't worry. Mass panic doesn't exactly help the Ministry to do their job. They're better off when everybody's calm. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to the attacks so far, or so I've been told, so it's not like it's possible to tell people how to go about defending themselves. Besides, people know enough about what's happening to know that they do need to be careful and make sure that they're armed at all times. People aren't stupid."

"Well, most people aren't," Molly said.

"Fair enough," Victoire said.

"I certainly thought so," Molly said.

Halfway through breakfast, someone dropped into the seat next to Victoire. She didn't look up from the newspaper as she said, "Morning, Lupin." He groaned. She laughed. "Tired?"

"You have no idea," he said, laying his head on the table. "I forgot what it was like to have to actually wake up for breakfast."

"What, they don't make you report in early at the Auror office?" Monica asked.

"In Australia they were sensible and we didn't start until ten."

"Well, you were spoiled and now you get to deal with the consequences," Victoire said. "Also, I have a question to ask you after breakfast, and I'd guess that you're probably not allowed to answer it because of confidentiality and all of that, but I'd still like to know, if that makes any sense."

"Sort of," Teddy said. "You're lucky that I'm used to translating Victoire."

"Now if there was only someone to translate Teddy," Molly said, shaking her head.

"So, is it weird being back at school when you're not actually a student anymore?" Jade asked.

Teddy sat up and shrugged. "I mean, it's odd not being in the dormitory and all, but I've only been around for about fourteen hours, so I can't exactly pass judgment at the moment. Ask me in a month after I have my first shift here."

"He's going home on Saturday," Victoire said in answer to the questioning glances of her friends. "They're rotating through."

"I'm only here because they asked me to be," Teddy said. "They thought it might be better if the news of the changes came from someone that most of the students already knew, so here I am."

"Aren't you meant to be all official since you're an Auror and all?" Alexa asked.

"Only when I'm on duty, which I'm not right now," Teddy said. "You'll know when you're not allowed to talk to me in a friendly fashion, don't worry."

"He's not kidding," Victoire said. "I've never seen him look so serious in my life."

"I'm hardly Harry's godfather," Teddy said.

Victoire rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder lightly. "That joke was old when they were still at school, Teddy. Imagine how old it is when the son of one of his best friend is saying it."

"Just because you can't appreciate good humour," Teddy said.

"Yeah, yeah," Victoire said. "You could eat something, you know. It might make you a little bit less angsty about being awake."

"Maybe, but that would mean being logical, and let's be honest, it's too early to be logical," Teddy said.

"You're absurd," Monica said.

"He's aware," Victoire said. She shoved a piece of toast at him. "Eat, or I won't be responsible for what happens to you, do you understand me?"

"Does that mean that if I eat, you will be?" Teddy asked.

"Merlin, I forgot how annoying it can be to have you around," Victoire said.

"You know you missed me," Teddy said.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to admit it," Victoire said, grinning.

Alexa groaned. "And now we have to be subject to your ridiculousness again. How nice."

"We have to suffer you and Liam all the time, Lex," Monica said. "And Jade and Jake. It's only fair that Victoire and Teddy get to torture us a bit too."

"How is that fair?" Alexa asked.

Monica shrugged. "I don't know. It just is."

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that's logical."

"Like Teddy said, it's too early to be logical," Monica said.

"Oh, now you're defending him?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows. "I see how it is."

Monica threw a napkin at Victoire, who caught it and laughed. Breakfast continued in much the same manner, and afterward, Victoire pulled Teddy into an empty classroom and shut the door.

"What is it?" Teddy asked.

"I just remembered something that Professor McGonagall and Auror Lyons mentioned in their conversation and I was hoping you might be able to enlighten me," Victoire said.

Teddy rubbed his eyes. "I don't know, Tori, most of what they were talking about was fairly classified information that you shouldn't have heard about in the first place, but I'll do my best to answer whatever questions you have without breaching my confidentiality contract, all right?"

"That's good enough for me," Victoire said. "They said something about an attack on Godric's Hollow. Did something happen?"

"Technically this isn't confidential information, so you're lucky," Teddy said. "There was an attack on Godric's Hollow, yeah. We're guessing it happened purely because of the significance of the place in both recent Wizarding history and our history in general. Whatever's going on, the people involved aren't pleased about how the war turned out, or at least, that's what we're inferring from the fact that they've attacked students and Godric's Hollow. We're not sure if Elise is connected or not."

"I don't see how she couldn't be," Victoire said.

"Wrong place at the wrong time," Teddy said. "It happens, unfortunately. We're certainly not writing her death off, but it's a low-level priority compared to the Hogsmeade and Godric's Hollow attacks. Does that satisfy your curiosity? I can't say much more without breaking my contract."

Victoire nodded. She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Nope, that's good enough. I've got some work to do, I'll see you later."

He kissed her swiftly and nodded. "See you."

She left the room humming to herself. Teddy didn't see the calculating expression on her face.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Well, Teddy's back (in some fashion). And you'll see how certain characters are involved in this whole mess- I won't say who, or how, because spoilers (As River Song would say), but there are characters who are involved in the situation that you have met before. I promise.**

**I'm so unbelievably tired right now that it's ridiculous, so I think I'm going to go to bed. I hope you guys like the chapter!**

**Also, Hufflepuffs are awesome and BADGER PRIDE. Just wanted to give a shout-out to my house, because it's awesome.**

**"I'm loyal to the ones that matter to me, cause it's just the right thing, and it's just how I am, man, I could make excuses, but the truth is that I'll do just enough, cause after all, I'm just a Hufflepuff."**

**(Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls, anybody?)**

**Until next time, everyone.**

**Peace and love x**

**~AC**


	16. I am in so much pain right now

Hey guys.

So in keeping with the theme of this story's uploads, there will not be an upload this week (There might not be next week either, we'll see how I'm feeling).

I had to have a (rather unexpected) minor surgical procedure today and was prescribed Vicodin which I will be taking as soon as my dad gets back from picking it up at the pharmacy, so I will not be anywhere near cognizant enough to actually write a chapter, let alone write it in a day. I won't even be going to school tomorrow.

New chapter will be up ASAP but we'll see how long it takes me to feel like a semi-functional human being.

Sorry about this! I know I haven't been the best about uploading regularly with this story...

Until next time.

Peace and love x

~AC


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